Red Haze
by Fiona Fargazer
Summary: (TFP-After PR) While preparing for the next gen, the Autobots face one last desperate attempt by Megatron gone mad, while Lock Down's after Bee's wanted head. In the chaos that ensues Knock Out must find himself as he understands what it means for him to have joined the Autobots. And Starscream, after recovering from near death by the Predacons, feels more lost than Knock Out.
1. Following the Leader

JMJ

RED HAZE

Fiona Fargazer

* * *

 _NOTE: Non TFP characters will include: Quickshift (OC), Jetfire (based loosely on his appearance RoF), Skywarp (based off of his Prime toy), Lockdown (based loosely on his appearance in AoE), Dead End and Swindle (based on their appearance in the movie comics), Flare Up._

 _NOTE2: Later there will be a couple major character deaths, but they aren't Knock Out or Starscream_

 _NOTE3: This whole fic is also co-created by my sis (who can be found on DA as Starscout-lost) and another person who doesn't have an active social account right now, but I wanted to give him credit too._

 _Note4: I also got a lot of ideas about Cybertronian anatomy and such (people get hurt a lot in this and talk about their insides) from praxcrown5 on Deviant art. She has an awesome anatomy guide called "Visible Cybertronian"_

* * *

ONE: FOLLOWING THE LEADER

The vote was cast for who would be the leader. Knock Out did not get to vote, and he did slightly resent it, especially at first. Optimus Prime had included him, after all. Not that it was any surprise to him or anyone else for that matter, who nearly unanimously won the vote—the only one who voted for someone different: Bumblebee. Although Knock Out may have resented that he had not been given a vote, he certainly did not envy the position. He had seen and dealt with leaders in plenty both good and bad, and it was a position only fools wanted.

For the first second or so, Bumblebee looked quite upset and he did not withhold his stoop; for evidently he had been surprised, or at least getting his hopes up about not being the leader.

"Aww, man," he said.

 _Now that was a big surprise,_ Knock Out thought with some sarcasm despite the solemnity of the event (that had already been broken up by Bumblebee's disappointment anyway), _but hey_ , _at least the fact that he doesn't want to be one is a good sign for his future as leader._

And he said something like it out loud without much thought of how it would be received, but like much of what he said it was not really what he said but how he said it that gave him the queer glances or people trying not to give them. But no one verbally responded to him at the moment, and Knock Out only shrugged with a broadening smile.

After recovering from the outcome of the tally, Bumblebee straightened seriously again and went on to say that he accepted the position. Although again Knock Out felt somewhat sorry for him, his trying to hide his disappointment was still funnier. The new leader apologized too in advance for the fact that he knew he would not be as good of a leader as Optimus Prime, but he also promised from his spark that he would try to be the best leader that he was capable of.

"Don't worry," said Arcee kindly, "you'll be a great leader."

Everyone else agreed, and said many encouraging things mostly summed up in the phrase, "We knew exactly what we were doing when we voted you in."

"But if you're not a Prime then what should we call you as a title?" teased Smokescreen.

"I was _voted_ in," said Bumblebee, "I think that the position should be called 'president' like on Earth when they have elections, and my first act as president is to propose making the term last four years."

"Well, Mr. President," said Knock Out suddenly stepping forward a little, for he had been further to the back before this point inside the incomplete "Capital Hall", "With all due respect, four years is a short time, and I'd think it would just save everyone the trouble of voting you in a second term to make it longer to begin with."

Ratchet grimaced, and looked about to say something that he changed his mind about. Again it was more the tone than what Knock Out said, but Bumblebee did not take offense in the least, and said with just a touch of a sigh, "Then how long does everyone think the term should last?"

"Make it an even ten years," said Bulkhead.

That pleased everyone well enough, and crossing his arms Knock Out felt good about himself and still more amused and still more sympathetic toward Bumblebee; though he admittedly started to lose interest when they moved their meeting to other matters now that the question of leader had been solved. They spoke of what job everyone should continue having, and now, especially with new sparks ready to be found, they needed a good hatchery to keep them safe until reaching a point of physical maturity. There was also a question of how to reach out to any surviving Autobots and hopefully making peace with any surviving Decepticon out there unaware of their leader's withdrawal and the dissolution of the Decepticon cause.

"I'll volunteer for that job," Wheeljack offered in reference to going off-world to find others.

"Of course, he does," said Knock Out. "How predictable we're all being."

There was the uncertainty of the whereabouts of Starscream and Shockwave. It was doubtful that especially Starscream would be willing to give up. He and possibly Shockwave could cause trouble if the people of the renewed Cybertron were not careful, so everyone had to be on the lookout even if so far neither one could be picked up on any scanning device.

"And what about Mr. Hilarity here and the few remaining vehicons?" asked Arcee.

"I haven't forgotten them," said Bumblebee. "All past enmity is to be forgotten. Optimus would have wanted it that way, especially with those that are willing to give it up, but I do think that the vehicons and you, Knock Out, should still do some community service."

"Seems a little contradictory, if you ask me," said Knock Out crossing his arms. "If I'm on your side I should be treated like everyone else, and to count me with the vehicons I find fairly insulting."

"It's not like you're exactly in a position to complain," Arcee could not help but point out with a shrug.

"We wouldn't have to be giving you as much pardon as we are," agreed Ratchet, though a little less lightly. "We still don't even know if you really intend to be part of the group or if this is all just more about yourself. You still haven't exactly proven yourself."

"Well," remarked Knock Out rather haughtily. "I don't know how much more I have to do to prove to you my sincerity. Would cutting off my own limb for your cause help?"

"That's not what I mean and you know it," said Ratchet.

"Sorry, Ratchet," remarked Knock Out, "I didn't mean to fluster you."

The cock and ambiguity of his tone made poor Ratchet only feel more flustered, but Ultra Magnus was the one who motioned for them both to stop.

Bumblebee, pleased with Ultra Magnus' support, turned to the X-con.

"You'll be treated the same as the rest of us, Knock Out," he promised. "If one of us had to make up for something we would have to do it. It's just how a society works, but you _are_ part of the family now, and the rest of us are going to be working just as hard anyway."

Here he smiled so sincerely that Knock Out had to relent.

"Okay, fine," he said with his usual mild humor again. "Since you put it like that I accept my community service as humbly as you accept yours. You know, in the spirit of family, after all. You still might have the worse service anyway."

Bumblebee's smile turned just a touch wry.

"At least I can see no one wants to depose me," he teased, and then he said in a more dutiful tone, "So, if it's alright with you, Ratchet, since Knock Out's expertise is in a similar field as yours would it be alright if he takes orders from you for a while?"

"Maybe for the sake of keeping away personality clashes for just a bit," said Arcee, "it would be better if he worked with Bulkhead for a while."

"No, I—" Ratchet started to say.

"Construction? Don't I get a say in this?" asked Knock Out holding up a finger. "I mean I would be more useful finding young ones than in construction, after all. Maybe I could go with Wheeljack here instead."

"Can't handle manual labor?" asked Smokescreen with a grin.

"It's not that!" retorted Knock Out. "I just can offer much more than carrying around I-beams all day."

"He can come with me," muttered Ratchet with a roll of his optics.

"Thank you, Ratchet," said Knock Out graciously.

Ratchet sighed, the reference to another time was not lost upon him and he said with a nod, "You're welcome."

"Okay, and Arcee can go with you both," said Bumblebee.

"Yes, sir, Mr. President," said Arcee.

"We'll start rebuilding the hatchery here like we said before," Bumblebee went on, "and finishing the palace slash Capital Hall, and the vehicons are under the command of Bulkhead to work on that. Wheeljack's taking the _Jackhammer_ out with the message to any stragglers out there. I think someone should go with him. Would you do that Ultra Magnus?"

"I would," said Ultra Magnus.

"What should I do?" asked Smokescreen.

"Smokescreen," said Bumblebee smiling again, "for now, you and I are going to help with the construction work."

"Sounds good, Mr. President," said Smokescreen with a salute.

"So!" said Bumblebee, "I'd say the meeting's adjourned. Everyone roll out!"

 _And they all lived happily ever after_ , thought Knock Out chuckling without a thought either way of whether it was true or not. So far, although he still thought it all could have gone better, he knew that he could not complain. He was very pleased as well as quite confident that he would prove even to the doubters that he was one-hundred percent Autobot now in his convictions.

#

 _Upon a lordly throne sat the mighty king. Although long black shadows cast about most of his features, a pair of glowing eyes burned a crimson haze. It glinted upon a sharp and deadly crown studded in the rarest of crystal ever to be known in the universe and shone differently with every flicker of movement in colors that sometimes outshone the red of the piercing eyes._

 _It was not that a Cybertronian needed or cared for precious stone. They were, of course, beyond such things. Only primitive races fought over sparkles. Usually Cybertronians saw little use in wearing anything, but it did help to prove the power of his personage to find the rarest of all things in the universe._

 _And the scarlet and black robe?_

 _Yes, perhaps it was a little much. Admittedly it was only for a bit of flare. After all, he was not lord but king. No. Not king, emperor. Supreme ruler of the universe!_

 _A laugh escaped the mighty ruler upon his gleaming lofty throne. A scepter like deadly ice he held in his claws, and he grinned most vilely as he admired the new symbol of his reign. The Decepticon cause was deactivated. The Autobot cause was offline. What remained was Cybertronian under the banner of the black star of Starscream! The sound of a screaming star, he was named for. The sound of a super nova—if space had sound, naturally, but it did in the imagination, and it was the mind that was the domination of Starscream._

 _The broken wills of his subjects below building a world more magnificent than the glory days of Cybertron, willingly they worked for him. Willingly they kissed his feet. Starscream would look upon them with benevolence because of their love for him. Technically no one possessed the privilege of laying one appendage to the hem of his robe, but he had a soft spot for those paying homage and would only smile knowingly._

 _And yet, with the greatest benevolence did come greatest of wrath, and to anyone that was not grateful for all he had done for the universe and that wanted to overthrow him, the severest of punishments was bestowed. The knowledge of punishments was long and wise in the head of Starscream, and so few could dare to cross him without their due reward, and traitors were the worst punished._

 _Take those two statues on the far end of his great hall on either side of the door. Completely immobilized stood Megatron and Optimus Prime, online but unable to partake in the world any longer. After torments unceasing, he allowed them to live in this state._

" _Always had they been fighting one facing the other," Starscream mocked. "It's only befitting that they remain for eternity as they always have been, wouldn't you agree, Soundwave?"_

" _It's only befitting," repeated Soundwave with the recorded voice of his new lord and master._

 _And did Starscream feel remorse for those he dominated? Did he feel guilt? Sometimes, admittedly, but what good ruler did not have his hours of brooding? His hours of doubt? And no one brooded with as much splendor as Emperor Starscream, just as much as no one knew how to live life to its fullest as Emperor Starscream. The best of all formal and honorable events were bestowed upon his people from all over the universe. The best of everything for his reign just as the worst there was for everyone who opposed him._

 _But today, after his laugh, a queer chill fell upon him, that was not normal. Some prick of doubt that he would be revenged upon by someone. The darkness was darker than usual. The images were faint echoes, and all he could hear clearly were his own thoughts and some strange and sickly humming. He tried to focus on his world, but he felt ill. He felt weak. He felt that he was forgetting something._

 _There was another king that was still out there for him. Another king more powerful than he was._

" _Blasphemy!" Starscream spat, but he knew in his spark that it was true._

 _All went utterly black, and a thought finally penetrated through all others: the Predaking._

" _I should be offline!" he whispered in hollow terror, but he did not whisper it; he only thought it…_

A bright light flickered, or at least it felt bright compared to the false light of his subconscious. His optics flickered to full function. The realm of his dark fancy was all but forgotten, but the chamber was still dark, and the lights still struck black shadows darker. A deep pain struck him too before he realized he was lying upon a table. A deep dull pain proved that he had been in this state for some time. The humming, he could now be sure, came from within himself as some of his inner workings struggled to keep him functioning as well as he was.

With a gasp and a moan he closed his eyes and gnashed his teeth. A chill and a draft seemed to be sweeping in across his body except at his head which felt hot and heavy.

"Starscream. So far you seem mentally functional."

He knew that voice. Had he ever been more relieved to hear it? He might have choked on a sob had Cybertronians been capable of tears. He was not captive of the Autobots, but then he should have known with the dark claustrophobic atmosphere of this crude lair.

" _Whu_ — _whu_ —what happened?" he rasped. "Where's the Predaking? How did you find me? Why aren't I offline? I—I remember being attacked! I remember being thrown clear through the wall and trying to escape! Trying to fly away even damaged as I was, and the flames and the ripping teeth…"

Right beside him, though not facing him, and standing emotionlessly, Shockwave did not appear to be listening, and Starscream glowered.

"Shockwave! Answer me!" Starscream squealed in rage; he did not have the strength or the will to sound commanding.

Shockwave looked up at him steadily with his single empty optic from a small screen.

"I do not think it logical to explain to you the details of your rescue until after you are able to hear them. You are known for having an acute lack of control over your emotional responses. There is a strong likelihood of your cranial cooling system malfunctioning again and of you returning to a state of delirium from overheating if you do not control yourself."

"Delirium?" Starscream demanded in alarm. "How long was I delirious?"

"I needed to test your mental status by bringing you out of stasis as I have done for the previous five attempts. I will return you to stasis so that I can complete my work."

Starscream winced. "Five attempts?" he growled. "Over how long a time? Can you at least tell me where we are? And for what reason you've taken so much interest in my… _recovery_ …"

He lowered his optics miserably and aside from feeling in pain and cold, he felt a great deal forsaken in such a vulnerable state. Not that he cared about him, but it hurt somehow to know that Shockwave would never in a million years rescue Starscream out of the remotest essence of fondness for him.

"We are in a makeshift laboratorial facility that I have built in an underground storage chamber left over from the beginnings of the war," Shockwave explained. "What little power there is to be used in here I have salvaged from other sources. So far all of my precautions have saved us from detection. I have salvaged an energy cloak that should keep us hidden for some time, but I have also made preparations to leave at any given moment. As for why I have rescued you, it was illogical to continue as a fugitive alone."

"You'd think it would be illogical to continue as a fugitive at all with the war over and all," Starscream remarked.

But suddenly Starscream regretted what he said, for if Shockwave knew as much as he did about the results of everything that had just happened, he may not continue helping him. He may abandon him and turn logically to surrender to the Autobots or worse! He might suggest Starscream to do the same. The terror that had struck him made his steaming head feel hotter, and he felt rather dizzy after he lifted his head up to see more clearly Shockwave's reaction.

"Uh—uh," Starscream stammered and slurred, "that is I—I mean since we are at such a low, and Lord Megatron may not return for some time, and—!"

"I am not offended by the fact that you are suggesting that I would betray my loyalty to the Decepticon Cause or Lord Megaton even though you have a number of times questioned my competency and loyalty, because at this time you are not in full control of your mental faculties due to your emotional stress."

As Shockwave spoke, Starscream panted trying desperately to cool his burning head, and he barely comprehended Shockwave's words as more than high vocabulary nonsense.

"Oh, shut up!" he growled at last and panted some more involuntarily now as his body tried to cool his head in any way it could. "You're not trying to fix me, you're trying to murder me, you traitorous scrapheap of illogical scrap! I despise you and Megatron and Optimus Prime and Knock Out too, the traitor! You're all trying to kill me, and after everything I've ever done for this ungrateful race of mine! Curse Cybertronians!"

"You're overheating again and delirium is imminent," said Shockwave in the same tone as before. "I will return you to stasis and continue."

"No! _Wait_!" Starscream wailed, but the lights went out.


	2. Turning the Leaf

JMJ

TWO: TURNING THE LEAF

Knock Out's official position was a scientist, he was happy to know, but since they had little need for a scientist at the moment, and the sparks that they had found were healthy and a medic was not needed, there was little for more than one person to do all the time in the hatchery. That remaining person only had to babysit. After Ratchet returned to Earth, Knock Out certainly did not want to be the baby sitter and that was given to Arcee for now.

She could manage checking them over as they began to grow like watered seeds into their little hatchable bodies. They would remain in a small bodied state in their energon sacks for some time once they reached that stage anyway, for after the physical growth into an infant-sized Cybertronian their minds would go through what was called "processing" in which their minds would develop and process all the information the mind and body needed to be an adult. This would also be the time for the common knowledge transfer of the basic elementary knowledge of Cybertronians (their ABCs, counting and mathematical abilities, basic understanding of how their bodies worked) all of which was inserted by the nurses that cared for them. Arcee could manage this by herself before they were old enough to hatch, which usually had to do with the size the individual would grow into so even the hatching would be scattered through over the course of a year and half once they started; though then she would require help. There still was some decision making going on about exactly how they were going to raise the hatchlings too.

Overall where work was most needed at the moment was in construction. So despite Knock Out's earlier complaints he reluctantly ended up with Bulkhead. Bulkhead was friendly and easy to get along with, except when he decided to give Knock Out a hearty slam on the back with his great strong hand for his good work, but that would have been far more forgivable if Knock Out was not already displeased with the job.

It was only partly his size. Knock Out was not known for his height, but he was no weakling. Nor was it exactly his lack of expertise in construction. He was smart and could follow blue prints if he had to. It was mostly just that in such work with carrying and climbing and shifting around crude objects yet to be smoothed out, it left way too much opportunity to be scratched. And although, Bulkhead usually had him doing finer detail work, there were always those clumsy Vehicons to contend with.

"Ack!" he cried after being accidently bumped with one of those unforgiving sheets of metal. He was not in the least bit hurt, but he anticipated the outcome of his finish before he looked.

"Mindless Vehicons!" he growled. "Look what you've done!"

He held out his hands in front of the nasty gash near his headlights in the otherwise pristine red gleam of his broad shoulder caps and hood.

"No wonder you were hidden away in mining facilities with Starscream before the war!" he snapped.

"I'm sorry, Dr. Knock Out," said the perpetrator humbly. "Please forgive me."

"Sorry doesn't fix _this_!" snapped Knock Out. "It's the third time today someone whipped so close to me while I was working, and the third time's the charm, cuz you actually _hit_ me this time!"

Without any further reason to speak to the idiotic things, Knock Out began to march away to go find his buffer, but he stopped suddenly under the disapproving leer of Bulkhead.

"What? Do I not have permission to leave? This is an emergency!" cried Knock Out.

The leer softened, but the seriousness did not. "If you really wanna prove to everyone you're not a Decepticon anymore you gotta, you know, stop acting like one."

"What do you mean?" asked Knock Out raising a brow. "I haven't done anything wrong."

"Except to the Vehicons," said Bulkhead. "You're always treating them pretty badly."

"You mean I gotta treat _them_ nicely too?" demanded Knock Out still overall preoccupied with his finish and anxious to leave as he rubbed the scratched spot with annoyance.

"Well, yeah," said Bulkhead with a shrug.

Knock Out sighed. "Right, right, you're right. The Decepticons were always hypocrites in that regard anyway. They sure didn't treat _me_ with equality. Okay." He cleared his throat as he turned to the Vehicon he had just verbally attacked. "Sorry," he said. "I know you didn't do it on purpose."

 _It's not your fault you're a clumsy drone_ , he thought carelessly. _If you had the body of an Insecticon you'd be one._

He was better about his temper however when within Bulkhead's sight from then on. At least he tried very hard to keep it to himself. That did not mean he had to try to keep the urgency about such a disaster to his paint job. The next time it happened while working for Bulkhead he gasped in alarm. Although he then growled just a little as he leered after the Vehicons with dangerous vehemence, he quickly turned away and focused on the damage instead.

"Oh!" he moaned, and hurrying to Bulkhead he said with a salute and an impatient and silly grin: "Permission to return to my quarters and retrieve my buffer, sir!"

Bulkhead shrugged. "Permission granted, I guess, but wouldn't it be better to wait until after you're done here in case something else happens too?"

"No offense, Bulkhead, but I don't expect someone with an all terrain vehicle as a vehicle mode to understand," said Knock Out. "I have a sports car to maintain! But I thank you for the leave! I won't shirk my duty!"

"Okay," said Bulkhead.

But most of the time, they got along swimmingly enough. At least Knock Out knew that he had Bulkhead on his side before long on the grounds that Knock Out meant what he said with a few Decepticon old habits to be rid of. It was better than working for Ratchet and just a little looser than working for Arcee once Ratchet left for Earth.

And it did not matter who he worked for in the sense that he was always better appreciated for his efforts than he ever had been on the _Nemesis_ —than he ever had been even before the days of the war when he worked as an assistant scientist in a sort of apprenticeship under the master scientists of the day. No, they had not been as polite and appreciative as Team Prime not even in comparison to Ratchet, who was the very first to be polite to him in centuries, even if it had been part of his ruse to escape the Decepticons at the time. They all were quite well trained under the former team leader Optimus Prime. After all, that was one of the reasons Knock Out had decided to leave the Decepticons; he had been tired of a world where he was treated like the medic machine with no care for his needs or wants. Ha had not doubt that if he had been the one injured he would have had to have tended to himself in his _Nemesis_ days, and what a disaster that would have been. It had been hard enough when he had been severely scratched. The only catch to this being good business was that one needed to be polite and appreciative back, and usually that was no difficult task for Knock Out. It probably would have for the likes of Megatron and certainly Starscream whose middle names were rudeness, but Knock Out had a natural knack for it when he was not irritated.

"Maybe some people just were destined to be good," he told himself with a lazy smile while resting and refueling in his very own quarters of which he was very proud. He had helped to build it to his specifications, after all: not overly large but exceptionally comfortable with a grand view of what would soon give him the sight of the new Cybertronian Palace/Capital Hall. He had been modeled his quarters loosely off of a penthouse bedroom he had seen in a movie on Earth once.

Regardless of having to help with construction work more than he would have liked he was also pleased in the sense that the Autobots, unlike the Decepticon rule under crabby old dinks like Megatron and Starscream, there was a time for work and there was a time for pleasure. Sure he could no longer play on Earth, but it was Smokescreen's idea not his to have a race court built as soon as they could. For now they had the cleared original streets with the pot holes and dents part of the hazards once one got further out. And it was also Smokescreen who originally reminded Knock Out of his love for speed.

"So how 'bout it?" asked Smokescreen with a funny sort of grin as he leaned against the completed wall of another building Bulkhead was overseeing. "You up to the challenge or do you need to spend more time shining your paint?"

"Is that a taunt?" retorted Knock Out; though it could not be hidden that he was rather pleased.

"Well, I understand if you don't want to," Smokescreen shrugged as he began to stroll away. "I mean, after all, I'd win."

"What makes you say that?" demanded Knock Out.

"Cuz I'm a race car," Smokescreen pointed out spinning round again.

"Oh! Is that it," Knock Out chuckled. "Well, then it'll be all the more humiliating for you when I leave you in the dust!"

"Great!" said Smokescreen. "Then I'll see you tonight on the edge of civilization, and we'll see who leaves who in the dust!"

"Too impatient to wait for Mr. President to race?" asked Knock Out.

"Oh, he'll be there too, later, of course, but then we'll be warmed up for him," said Smokescreen. "Besides I heard you liked racing and thought you'd be interested. It was a little harder to talk Bumblebee into it than you, but I told him he needed to take a break too just like everyone else."

"Then he's not a Prime in mood-set yet if you were able to talk him into it at all, is he?" said Knock Out, and then with a shrug, he said, "Well you'd better run along and find more racers, if you can. Some of us still have work to do, little boy. The city isn't building itself, after all."

Perhaps Bumblebee was a little more Prime in "mood-set" than they thought for he was late to the race, but it took a little while for either Smokescreen or Knock Out to notice. Both of them had found themselves quite unleashed, and neither had realized until they set out just how much pent up energy they had stored away for such a run. They raced more than once and proved themselves fairly equally matched for speed; though admittedly Knock Out was a bit more experienced with uncertain roads, for they went pretty far out, driving as fast as they could.

Having lost the first race, Knock Out may have ended the fun by his not quite playing fair when he knocked something purposely in Smokescreen's way during the second race, but Smokescreen reacted instinctively with the phase shifter right through it.

"Can't play fair and win?" demanded Smokescreen caught up with Knock Out now. He said it jokingly, but the annoyance in his voice was undeniable.

"Sorry, old habits die hard," Knock Out admitted; though still in good humor himself. "We'll play clean now. On my honor as a new Autobot."

"Good!"

And Knock Out kept his word.

"All these funny little things one has to remember," Knock Out muttered to himself, "It's harder than it looks to turn over a new leaf, isn't it?"

But his spirits were not dampened, not for the race and not for his determination of becoming one with the Autobots. They were still as bright as the clusters of stars and pink and blue space dust circling above their heads. It was a challenge, yes, but he was so far quite successful, he thought. He would win just like he did the third and fourth race without any nasty habits getting in the way.

And with so much energy, it was true that by the time Bumblebee appeared Smokescreen and Knock Out were just warmed up, but then again, it was surprising to both of them how much pent up stress and energy for speed Bumblebee had inside him. The first race with him left both of them in the dust—quite to their further surprise and dismay!

As Bumblebee waited for them at the finish line he called out to them in tremendous spirits, "That was great! Let's go down the south side where there's more obstacles!"

"Oh, I don't know about that," said Knock Out. "I don't think the race car can handle being off smooth road."

"Hey!"

"You both all raced-out already?" laughed Bumblebee. "How long did you race without me."

"No way, I'm still up for at least three more," said Smokescreen. "I didn't know you could go that fast! _Phew_ , that was great!"

"It was, actually, but I knew you had it in you to burn rubber like that," remarked Knock Out.

So they raced on the president's chosen terrain for a good three more races, but Bumblebee won the three. The first of the three was a very close race, but the other two, Bumblebee won probably because the first two racers were wearing out by this time. As they stopped to go back to civilization and rest, Knock Out felt most pleasantly tired, not exhausted, and was again very pleased with his new life and with his new self.

#

Quickshift was not large for Cybertronian standards. In fact most of the females were taller than him, and he was compact and quick and dodgy. That was probably the only reason why he survived as long as he did—that and a good helping of what some might call luck. After all he could not claim to be the brightest of Cybertronians, nor had his expertise ever been in warfare, but when the ship he had been using began to run out of fuel he could see no way he could dodge out of this one, and luck could not refuel the tanks. Besides, he himself was running low on energy. He had stocked up by stealing energon from Decepticons from time to time with sometimes miraculous success, but the energon supply on the ship was running very low now.

He felt lucky at all that he had been able to spot a Cybertronian base on some moon in some long forgotten corner of the universe where he had ended up.

His spirits lifted instantly, but they fell just as fast.

This was a Decepticon base.

"Oh, no," he said. "Just like last time."

And he shuddered as he tried not to think too hard upon the events that led him to the circumstances he was in now. He had never been trained properly for direct combat even if he was equipped with a small gun. He had only been meant as an equerry of sorts for others who did fight, and as far as he knew he was the only one who left the outpost that had tricked them into thinking they were on an Autobot base. He had been barely able to escape on the ship himself, for the Decepticons had tried to shoot him down. He had even tried to bring the ship around in a spurt of bravery to try to pick up any of his comrades to no avail. None of them had a signal. He was hopeful that somehow some of them survived; that was Quickshift's way, but even he could not hope that they all had. Either way, from that moment on, he had been alone; and that lone state had been his for many long years.

Again Quickshift shook his head, and he succeeded back to the present. He had no choice. He had to land. The fuel was almost out. He just had to hope he could siphon fuel from some Decepticon ship or tank for his own ship without being seen. There was no hope in thinking ahead. That was not his way, but it seemed at least some hope in his plan. They had not shot him down yet, and he hoped it meant that the cloaking device still worked well enough and the Decepticons had not advanced enough to detect him.

So he dared it. Landing behind a cluster of moon cliffs, he paused a moment in silence, and waited. Nothing happened.

"Okay!" he said clasping his small hands together. "So far so good."

He leapt out the hatch and looked about him hesitantly like a rabbit poking its head out of a burrow. Still all was as silent as a graveyard and just about as bleak. It looked like there had once been a mine here. Tunnels and a quarry were still present, and some sort of facility half hidden on the other side of his cliffs. He scurried from one stone to the other like a rat out in the open. Pausing now and again with gun at the ready he listened and waited, but it was as dead as it looked, this base.

"Abandoned in a hurry," muttered Quickshift with a shrug, and he tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm, maybe the Autobots already hit this place. It does look like there's been a fight of some kind."

It was true, burns scarred everything, and some sort of landslide covered most of a very large machine. He was not sure, but he thought he saw the remains of some Vehicons too here and there. That was a little odd. Autobots usually took it upon themselves to tidy up after their messes. It separated them from the enemy unless maybe they had to leave in a hurry for some reason.

He heard a noise suddenly behind him, and with a shriek he spun around only to find that his own footsteps had caused debris to fall from a shed he had passed. Its dust floated in a purplish plume in the opposite direction. After another pause, and gathering up his courage again, he trounced his way to the main building. Maybe there was an Autobot here, and he had a ship somewhere so they could both leave this ghost site.

When he got there he found that the door was sealed shut. He tried to open it and shot at it. It was magnetically sealed so his shots bounced right back at him. After ducking from his own shots he picked himself up and circled the building to see if there was a back door. He was so busy looking for that door that it took him being a few yards away before he discovered that the hanger was wide open.

He brightened immediately and ran to it, but though he found a ship, as he examined it, he found it to be in a similar state as his own: so low on fuel that it did not matter. In fact he found that the tanks had been torn through, and the remnants of most of its fuel long ago stained the ground beneath it and dried out.

He made a face.

"So does that mean no one's here?" he asked no one.

Maybe the Autobots parked somewhere else. At least he found that the door was damaged to get into the base through the hanger so that he could get in if he broke the rest of the door inward. There was a heavy barrier put there by some far larger Cybertronian for him to push too, but Quickshift managed.

Inside everything looked even more abandoned and more ghostlike than the outside. Maybe it was just the darkness. Not even the emergency lights were on, but Quickshift was determined to be brave and find the fuel as he looked about with only his gleaming blue optics for light. He was not about to deactivate here without trying. Besides his curiosity to know what had happened to the place was driving him crazy.

He came to a vast domed laboratory suddenly. Impressive machinery and deadly weapons seemed to be what it was all about. The computer screens were as dead as everything else here, but he thought it at least worth a try to see if they could be turned on. He passed an especially large piece of rusting weaponry as he trotted up to the computer board, but just as he was pushing the "on" button, he paused and winced.

There was no mistaking it. The rusted machinery behind him had definitely moved.

It had not been just a machine, he suddenly realized before he dared turn around. It had been a Cybertronian.

Although terror shook him to the core, for he knew that it could not be an Autobot, he spun around with weapon ready and aimed both the lights of his optics and the lights of his weapons at the rusted face of his adversary.

"Alright, buddy!" he cried. "I got you! Decepticon scum!"

He had a big enough Decepticon insignia on his chest, despite its being scratched up as though someone had been trying to remove it.

The Decepticon rolled his eyes.

"Pretty lousy scout you are," he muttered in a voice as rusty as his body, and he slammed a broad pike-like tool on the ground and used it like a crutch to pull himself from the ledge he had been sitting on. "I knew you were here since I heard you banging around on the front porch, and that even without a scanner! _Hrmph_. No wonder you were losing the war."

Quickshift would have fired in his excitement, but he stopped as he cringed at the sound of the horrible screeching of the Decepticon's joints.

"Where's the rest of your crew?" the Decepticon demanded.

It was only now that Quickshift noticed that the Decepticon's optics were yellow, a rather unusual color for a Cybertronian anyway, but even more unusual on a Decepticon. Not that it mattered, but Quickshift noticed. Maybe because although he sounded gruff, he sounded like he wanted a ride home like a normal person rather than an evil maniac. One good look at the desperate condition he was in, Quickshift could not exactly blame him, but he still had to be ready for a trap.

" _I'm_ the one asking the questions here, pal!" Quickshift retorted. "Where's the rest of _your_ crew?"

"Oh, for the—!" growled the Decepticon banging his staff on the metal floor again before leaning into it.

He was quite large, and he looked as though he would have been more than formidable if he had not been in such bad shape. A flier too, by the look of his wings, a deadly warrior with broad shoulders and a face as sharp as a falcon's despite its scars and age marks from a long time without energon.

"I'm alone, you fool! The Decepticons are all destroyed on this base! You're the stupidest scout I ever laid optics upon! What superior gave you this job!? Can't you see you could shoot me with your tiny weapon and I'd fall apart! I'm willingly surrendering to you. I have no reason to keep loyalties on a base like this! Call your team!"

"Hey, nice try! Nice try! We're not doing anything until you tell me what's going on! I'm warning you, Decepticon. No deception from you, got it?"

"How much clearer do I have to be?"

The Decepticon took up his staff so suddenly and so near comically that Quickshift could not react in time to get out of being conked on the head; though he did shoot it simultaneously with getting struck. The staff was unharmed for the most part however.

" _Ow_! Hey!" cried Quickshift.

"The grounds speak for themselves!" snapped the Decepticon. "Everyone's offline. They destroyed each other like the Decepticons they were (when they have nothing else to destroy that's all they have left is destroying each other)…or they starved! There was a rebellion in the ranks when our communications went down. We couldn't contact anyone for help when our ship was destroyed by the local primitive life on this heap. I figured Megatron had given us up, anyway, after a time."

"Something lives here normally?" cried Quickshift.

"Not anymore! We wiped them out, but they put up a big enough fight! Nasty blighters, the lot of them! Flesh-make, but with teeth that dents metal and hides that take a few shots! I can tell you! I can tell you—but _later_! I'll tell everything to your commanding officer! Just get your tailpipe in gear and get back to him, would you? I don't have cycles to sit around and argue with you!"

"A likely story! How 'bout you just tell me where the fuel is in this place?"

"Don't you think if there was fuel in this scrap heap of a base, I would have worked harder to fix my ship? It's not beyond repair! Whether you think I'm surrendering or not, you should call your leader or backup so I can least talk to someone with more sense than you!"

And here he tried to bang Quickshift's head again.

This time Quickshift got out of the way; and he fired again too, and it hit the Decepticon. Although he did not fall to pieces as he had suggested, the Decepticon was more hurt by it than he certainly would have been in top form. He tripped backwards a little and sparks flew as he crashed into the computers, obviously still operational to some degree. At least they had been before they had been smashed, but Quickshift did not remain to find out. As soon as the Decepticon had fallen he sped away as fast as he could, hoping to find the fuel on his own and that the Decepticon was too rusty in the hinges to follow him.

At least if he tried to follow he would be heard from a mile away.


	3. Jetfire

JMJ

THREE: JETFIRE

It was in about this state that Wheeljack and Ultra Magnus found the base. They were surprised when they located the distress signal of an Autobot ship. They were more surprised to find it on an abandoned Decepticon site.

There was a mine, but it was apparently for metal and ore and not for energon, and there stood like a mausoleum of the past, a laboratory facility of some sort looming like some old wound on the landscape. Here and there sticking in some spots were the empty shells of some vehicons.

"Must be left over from the communications victory we had over the 'cons, eh, sir?" said Wheeljack.

Everyone had known about it. It was one of the few times in the war when the Autobots had taken the upper hand. All of the Decepticons' communications were shut down throughout the whole universe. Most of the locations of their bases had been stolen and the info destroyed so that the Decepticons no longer had their pinpointed locations. Many of the outer reaching outposts of the Decepticons were destroyed, or if not destroyed, they were at least lost.

Ultra Magnus agreed.

"But _that_ ship hasn't been here long," said Wheeljack as they left the _Jackhammer_ to go check out the Autobot distress signal. "Funny that no one's here with it."

"It could be a trap," said Ultra Magnus.

"In this sick place it won't be a good one," said Wheeljack. "By the looks of it, if anyone did survive the attack, they haven't had supplies for a good long time."

They searched the Autobot ship inside and out, but there was no one about. It looked entirely abandoned, but the ship was still functional as Ultra Magnus pointed out. It was on a power-saving mode aside from its distress signal.

"The _Star Beacon_ ," said Ultra Magnus.

"A good crew," said Wheeljack.

Wheeljack only met them once. Powerglide was their captain, a fine fighter. They had been no Wreckers but part of a special mission under Ultra Magnus. He had known enough about them himself to know that they had gotten lost and probably killed, but if the ship was still functioning perhaps some of them were too.

Wheeljack turned up the computer system to see if he could track down any of the _Star Beacon_ 's crew.

"There's one," he said, and he was surprised that the signal was so close. "Looks like he's in a storehouse on the other side of the lab."

"We should still proceed with caution," Ultra Magnus said. "It looks like there's Decepticon activity in the main facility. It's an older signal, curiously enough, which is why the _Star Beacon_ 's computer can pick it up at all, but it's active."

Wheeljack shrugged. "It wouldn't be the first time a con used a half-dead Autobot to spring a trap."

Thus they made their way to the shed with care. Wheeljack stayed on watch as Ultra Magnus looked inside the shed.

"Stay back!" shouted a shrill voice inside, and the sound a laser gun ready to fire whined. "I knew there was more of—!"

The small Autobot in the darkened space staggered now in surprise. He gasped. Lowering his weapon clumsily he tried to stand at attention and bow his head apologetically at the same time.

"Commander!" he gasped, but he couldn't stay in that position for long as he hurried to the doorway and saluted to Ultra Magnus again and brimming with explosive joy.

"At ease there. What's your name?" asked Ultra Magnus.

"Thank you, Commander!" said the Autobot now released to show the eagerness of a puppy when his master comes home for a walk. "Quickshift, sir! You don't know how happy I am to see you, sir! You found my signal! I knew someone would, but I didn't think to hope in a million years it would be the main cavalry! Oh, Ultra Magnus, sir, I haven't seen another Autobot for so long I was beginning to think I was the only one left alive in the whole universe! Oh, thank you, sir! Thank you for coming! I've been holding out the best I can. My ship's out of fuel and I've been trying to find out if they have any stashed away somewhere after it was useless to keep trying to interrogate that old rusted Decepticon in there. I wasn't sure I could keep him thinking I was only one scout for a full crew for much longer."

" _Where's_ the Decepticon?" demanded Wheeljack of him then, leaving his lookout position to see in on the situation. "In the lab?"

Ultra Magnus looked down at him with a raised brow.

Quickshift gasped. "Sir! You're a Wrecker, aren't you? I'm sure you look like one of the Wreckers. Oh, I'm honored!"

"Could you slow down and tell us what's going on here?" Wheeljack said.

Sobering himself and nodding as solemnly as he could, Quickshift said, "Sorry, sorry. I'm just excited."

"Well, before you go on, we'll tell you why _we're_ actually here and that might ease your mind more. We're here to bring you home, Quickshift," said Ultra Magnus.

A cloud of confusion covered Quickshift's face. "Home? You mean Cybertron? It's safe to go back?"

"More than that. It's been rejuvenated back its former state," said Wheeljack. "The war is over."

"And the Autobots won?" Quickshift cried. "Really! Oh, I knew we would win eventually!" He paused. "Sirs," he then added quickly.

The sirs smiled with some amusement.

"Okay," said Wheeljack then, "now about the Decepticon?"

"Right," said Quickshift with a sharp, determined nod and stepping outside of the shed he pointed to the laboratory. "There's a Decepticon in there. I think he may be the only one left. He's in the main lab, and who knows what he's planning."

"He didn't follow you out?" asked Wheeljack.

"No, sir," said Quickshift. "I think—that is, he looks like he might be starving, actually. Rusting away to scrap. Now that I think about it, he probably really isn't much of a threat at all, but you still never know. His mind seemed to be working well enough, you know?"

"Well, then let's go have a look, eh, sir?" asked Wheeljack turning wryly to Ultra Magnus.

"Do I have permission to come too, Commander?" asked Quickshift eagerly.

Wheeljack glanced at Quickshift and then back to Ultra Magnus.

"I believe you should lead the way if you can control yourself," replied Ultra Magnus in full seriousness.

"Yes, sir!" cried Quickshift leaping ahead of the others, and he could not help but mutter out loud, "the first lieutenant Ultra Magnus and one of the legendary Wreckers and I'm working with them. I can hardly believe it."

So off they went into the laboratory and found the Decepticon. At first Quickshift wanted to put up a fight, but Ultra Magnus stayed him as he demanded the particulars from the Decepticon. The Decepticon seemed to have nothing to hide. In fact he seemed quite eager to make his confession despite his crotchety exterior.

"My name is Jetfire," said Jetfire. "How many long years I've spent here I've almost lost track! I only survived on power saving mode until your scout woke me out of it. _Ahem_.

"Megatron wanted more weapons, as Decepticons do, so he sent some of his better scientists to set up a secret lab here on this fleck in the universe. We thought we had disposed of the indigenous life forms when we arrived: wyrms, we called them. Like I told your little scout (which by the way he was talking I was beginning to think he was here by himself and I think he needs more discipline!) Denting metal with their teeth and hard to kill in one shot, the wyrms. A downright nuisance regardless of whether or not we had the right to massacre them all or not.

"I was left in charge of the mad scientist's lot. I was trusted both in loyalty and in physical ability. I was sentry, leader, and mediator. I got things done too without any funny business or self initiatives, and Megatron wanted things done, but it did not take long before everything went wrong, and even before things went wrong I was beginning to have my doubts about the war.

"The weapons being created, if massed produced could have destroyed the whole universe, and I knew the likes of Megatron and his shifty minion Starscream—that both would be more than willing to turn the universe into scraplet bites to kill the Prime!"

"You were having doubts about the Decepticons?" said Ultra Magnus with care.

"Yes," said Jetfire and after a pause he added without irony, "Commander." Then he went on. "But I didn't have long to think about it. I was saved the trouble of making a decision by the wyrms coming back for vengeance. They broke into the lab and put the projects back for cycles, but that's when things got real ugly! The communications went down. More wyrms destroyed the ship and the fuel tanks, but we could not figure out what had happened to the communications. I figured we'd been abandoned or forgotten. Some of the others did too, and the head scientist Deluge took it harder than I did. I almost wasn't surprised to be forgotten. It would not be the first time Decepticon allies were forsaken for one reason or another if there was some benefit. But some Decepticons, I think, deceive even themselves about what the Cause really is all about, and what following Megatron's madness does to a Cybertronian spark. Deluge's rage at Megatron's betrayal drove him mad. Well…madder! He said I was ruling them all like a Prime (and that, naturally, was meant as an insult of the highest degree, I beg your pardon) and that he deserved to make the decisions being the smartest one among us so that he could start his own planet on this rock in the name of Decepticons. And he had been mad enough being a traitor to the Autobots when the Prime had not liked his science projects in the early stages of the war.

"He banded with about half the base including all of his fellow mads, and there was a war among ourselves. He and his cronies against me with mine! I led the charge without hesitation. I was just as fired-up and angry as he was at that point—against _him_. The fact that some of our energon rations had gotten destroyed by the Wyrms earlier had not helped. Yet it did not take a genius to win the fight against him. He may have known how to make a ray gun that passed through your outer casing without harm to it but mangle your guts, but he did not know how to use it to the best of his advantage in a battle.

"But my victory was not satisfying. After the death of the rest of the wyrms and my refusal to deactivate those Cybertronians who had fought with the head scientist after their leader was killed in some last maddening duel of his, everything was less satisfying than before. There was murmuring among the ranks, and I was always ready for another uprising; though it did not come to that again.

"No one came. Not Autobot, not Decepticon! So those who remained, some of which were quite injured from our skirmishes, slowly began to starve. The most injured and the smaller ones went first. I am the last survivor, but I will not consider myself the last surviving Decepticon. I've learned the depths of what that means to be a Decepticon, and I want no part of them! So that even if you have come here to have me executed or put into a stasis lock for treason or untrustworthiness, I want it known that even if I'm not dying an Autobot I am not dying a Decepticon!"

There was a long silence. The Autobots' optics went wide upon Jetfire and Jetfire leered defiantly at the Autobots, but whether defiant against them or the Decepticon Cause was difficult to say by his mere expression. After his interesting tale in which Jetfire had been quite passionate and there had been many poundings with his staff, Wheeljack decided to test him with the news.

"Well," he said lightly, "then it should please you to know that the war is over. It just ended."

Jetfire staggered in surprise.

"Is it!? Has it?!" he gasped recollecting himself, and pounding his staff and leaning against it again he cried with excitement that surprised everyone else present, "It's about time! I'm guessing by your tone that the Autobots won!" And he laughed heartily.

"Yes," said Ultra Magnus. "And if you mean what you say, you're welcome to come with us back to Cybertron."

"We don't actually believe him, do we, Commander?" cried Quickshift anxiously.

"Even if Jetfire is lying, which I doubt," said Ultra Magnus, "he's not a threat anymore, but," and here he turned to Jetfire again, "we will do what we can for you back on Cybertron."

"Oh, I don't think there's much that can be done," said Jetfire with a careless shrug, "but to see Cybertron in sane hands again will be good enough for me even if you do have untrained scouts!"

"I'm not actually a scout," muttered Quickshift.

#

"I think we should have a trip to Earth some time," said Bulkhead one day at a Capital Hall meeting. "Things have been going smoothly and everything for a good long time, and there's no reason to not go."

"We'd have to plan it," said Bumblebee. "We have to make sure everyone's there. Miko might be in Japan still too even though I know she'd be willing to swim across the ocean to get the chance to see you again." And he smiled.

"And I know Jack just started college," said Arcee looking thoughtful. "Years sure are shorter on Earth. As much as I miss him, I'd hate to interrupt that. Raf may be the only one still in Jasper right now."

"There _is_ this peculiar thing they have on Earth for students called summer vacation," Knock Out offered enticingly. "And this other earth thing on Earth called Christmas vacation too if I'm not mistaken."

The other three looked at him strangely, for he did in a manner pop out of nowhere on them.

"Do they have Christmas vacation in Japan?" asked Bulkhead.

"Well!" said Knock Out. "I was on Earth long enough to form an attachment to it even if I don't have a fl— _ah_! Excuse me. Human partner. If you're all going, I'm coming too."

Arcee raised a brow.

"That is, with your permission, Mr. President!" Knock Out said with a gallant bow.

"Well, we can't _all_ go, and we can't leave Smokescreen by himself here," said Arcee.

"Oh, if it was only an afternoon, I could handle it!" said Smokescreen. "You guys should have a chance to visit them again after all you went through together."

Bulkhead shook his head. "An afternoon? Smoky, you don't just spend one short Earth afternoon with them. It'll probably be at least a week."

"I still think you guys should go," said Smokescreen.

"I think that Knock Out should stay with you," said Arcee.

"Shouldn't I stay with my bosses, though?" Knock Out grinned. "After all, I need supervision until the end of my community service, isn't that right Mr. Pres?"

Bumblebee crossed his arms. "Then we'll have to wait until there're more of us."

"You mean when Jacky and Ultra Magnus get back," said Bulkhead.

"We'll start out at least in seeing what kind of arrangements we can make," said Bumblebee. "I really don't think Knock Out and Smokescreen will be enough by themselves anyway for a whole week and the New Generation so close to hatching."

#

Yet it did come as a great surprise when it was not as long as they thought for Wheeljack's ship to return and with two new Cybertronians joining Cybertron. Bumblebee could not help but think there was a symbolism somehow in the fact that one was an Autobot and the other an X-Decepticon.

"Oh, I can't believe it!" cried Quickshift before anyone else could speak. "It may not be as complete as I hoped, but it's brighter than I even remember it!"

Bumblebee laughed. "Well, it'll get built up faster now too with more help."

"Oh, don't worry! I'll do my part!" cried Quickshift with a salute. "Quickshift! Reporting for duty!"

"You're more than welcome!" said Bumblebee.

"We probably would have been out longer," said Wheeljack with a shrug, and he threw a thumb back at Jetfire after everyone had made their greetings, "but we weren't quite sure about this guy in more ways than one."

"I told you not to fuss over me one way or the other!" grumbled Jetfire. "I'm resigned to my fate, but I would…" he paused briefly and solemnly, "I would like to see the Prime if it would not be too much to ask."

Silence befell all present.

Jetfire's brows grew heavier than they already were, and Quickshift's optics widened.

"Oh, he's not dead is he?" He looked around anxiously.

"He's dead," said Arcee softly.

"But he died a noble death sacrificing himself for us all," said Ultra Magnus gravely.

The others quietly agreed.

"That is indeed the worst news I've heard in a long, long time," said Jetfire sadly. "But I assume that had the Prime had not died the war would still be on."

"We'll explain it later," Bumblebee promise, and then said, "We could go get Ratchet for a start to help you unless Knock Out feels he can handle it."

Knock Out, who was present at the arrival just as much as everyone else, suddenly widened his optics to attention.

"What?" he asked, and he did not withhold his repulsion at the rust and age and crumbling metal.

"Well, you were the medic for the Decepticons, weren't you?" asked Bulkhead.

"Yes, yes," said Knock Out shaking a finger with care, "and a very fine one I might add, but he's so—"

"Old, rusty, and disgusting?" offered Jetfire loudly.

"Well," chuckled Knock Out. "You said it not me!"

"If you don't think you can handle it, we can go get Ratchet," said Arcee. She was trying to be polite, Knock Out knew, but she could not hide her disgust as she crossed her arms and glanced idly at him.

Knock Out frowned stubbornly, and lifting a finger again he opened his mouth to protest, but Jetfire interrupted.

"No one has to bother on my account!" he snapped banging his staff upon the ground and clenching his squeaking teeth. "I know I'm done-for anyway, and I know I deserve it for my time with the Decepticons more than this one knows what he deserves." He thrust his staff towards him threateningly. "And if he ever was a medic I know the Decepticons must've been pretty desperate!"

Stiffening in surprise, a sudden flush of anger washed through Knock Out, but it soon turned to determination to prove him wrong.

"It won't take much to get Ratchet," said Ultra Magnus. "It might just be better to get him anyway. There's no reason to have tensions where it's not necessary."

Now it was Quickshift who made a face.

"You mean, he's a Decepticon too?" he asked.

"Well," said Knock Out with a lazy roll of his eyes. "My optics are red still, I believe. Does that tell you anything?" And he shook his head and turned to Ultra Magnus and Arcee. "But, yes, I can handle it. There's no need to bother Ratchet about this. I'll patch him up in no time. Jetfire, isn't it? I remember you used to be a well respected warrior in Starscream's armada. Looks like things went pretty wrong for _you_. Sorry for the bad first impression here, but we're all on the same side now, right?"

He stuck out one hand to shake and threw the other carelessly around his back, to prove he was not completely revolted by the rust.

Half processed energon straight from a broken energon converter and flowing unstoppably from a main line had never phased him. Brain modules being removed from a head, did not make him blank twice, but rust was one thing he could not help but feel squeamish about. The thought of just a little rusted dust falling on him made him shiver inwardly, and although he forced a smile onto his face that looked about his usual lazy-eyed smirk, he did not impress Jetfire.

Yet with a strange sort of smirk himself, Jetfire took his hand. It seemed he at least to appreciate the effort even if he found it comical, but he still was not happy about it. Neither of them really were, but maybe that's why it worked out between them despite Knock Out's smile turning somewhat into a cringe rather than a grin at the sound of the creaking digits in Jetfire's fingers.

Thus, Knock Out had his first real patient since joining the Autobots. Once Jetfire was situated in the new Hospital and Knock Out with him, Knock Out turned on his doctor-mode even with rust, and did his job.

Jetfire was a mess, and it would take some time, if ever, to reverse what had been done to him from going without energon or even been oiled in any way for so long. He was from the same generation as he was, though he did not look it anymore. The dried converters could be replaced, and he set to work with having some produced right away, and outer casings could be refurbished, but the aging it had done to him? That probably would take some doing, and, to his nature, he admitted that to Jetfire without hesitation.

"I thought as much," said Jetfire with a shrug. "I wasn't hoping to live forever being brought to Cybertron, only to see it in its glory again. Alive and thriving after everything we've done to it."

"We?" smirked Knock Out.

"I'm happy for you, don't get me wrong, that you managed to escape the Decepticons, but you are not grateful for it," said Jetfire. "You take it for granted."

"How do you know what I think?" retorted Knock Out lightly, pretending to examine a screen showing medical results.

"Well, for one thing, like you said to Quickshift, you're optics are still red."

"How do you know they weren't always red?" asked Knock Out. "It does match my paint job, after all."

"Few Cybertronians are born with red eyes," snorted Jetfire. "As a scientist you know about that more than I do."

"Well, I can't just force them to be some different color even though I did inject an optic color shield for someone once who couldn't handle them being red despite his being as much a Decepticon as any of us. Then again yellow did fit poor Breakdown better than red, I must admit, even though they were originally energon-blue like most normal Cybertronians. That's a color more difficult to fake from red. Either way I found it myself pointless to pretend to be something I wasn't when I was, after all, a Decepticon. I might as well have looked the part, and most Cybertronians, Decepticon or Autobot, don't even think of it as much as you do or Breakdown did." He paused queerly for a few seconds as he recalled his dead friend, but he quickly returned to the conversation. "I remember yours being red."

"They were. They turned back by themselves, and I didn't think about it until then."

"Well, anyway," said Knock Out with a shrug. "It's only a sign of prolonged rage due to mental or emotional stress."

"Prolonged hatred and aggression more like," muttered Jetfire.

"Mmm," shrugged Knock Out. "It's not a childish fairy tale where the bad guys just get evil eyes the moment they decide to become Decepticon or stay blue when they automatically are part of the Autobots."

"Still, if it was only rage I'm sure there are a few Autobots' optics that would have turned red," said Jetfire.

"Who says there weren't any? You've been on a planetoid isolated from either side. How would you know? I heard Megatron's optics were red long before deciding to become ruler of the Decepticons. It happened to professional gladiators often enough, I understand. Not exactly a healthy lifestyle physically or mentally, _hmm, hmm_. It has nothing to do with my sincerity in joining the winning side, though. My optics didn't turn red for years after practically being shanghaied into the Cause."

Again Jetfire snorted, and as he did a strange sort of steam escaped somewhere from his not entirely functional innards. "All I'm saying is you had better appreciate what you have here. Shanghaied or not, you were all Decepticon by the time I met you. You were almost to be sent with us to that forsaken spit of a rock."

"Funny how that works out," Knock Out said with a shrug. "Do I sense resentment?"

Jetfire leered; then shook his head. "No. You'd probably've starved, and perishing on that base, I wish that on no one. Not even Megatron."

Knock Out stifled a chuckle. " _Hm_! What about Starscream? He could sure use some rust."

Not really amused Jetfire said, "You won't lose what the Decepticon line of thought did to you with an attitude like that."

"Take it easy, Jetfire, I was joking. Besides Megatron gave up the Decepticons too, and Starscream's probably hiding in some hole in the ground 'crying like a baby' as they say on Earth."

"What?" asked Jetfire, and he shook his head again.

"I have full intention of reforming my ways, don't you worry about that. Being stuck on that rock sure changed you in more ways than one," retorted Knock Out lightly. "Now! Do you want me to go over the specifics about what we can and cannot do for _you_ , or do you just want to be surprised?"

* * *

 _NOTE: Now the real story can start after this ^-^_


	4. Reunion

JMJ

FOUR: REUNION

"This might be a strange question…" said Knock Out thoughtfully.

He turned to Bulkhead in an idle sort of way, and Bulkhead raised a brow curiously.

Knock Out had not worked with Bulkhead since the arrival of Jetfire, but it was break time for everyone at the moment as evening was usually reserved for. Bulkhead had not even known Knock Out was there as he had been fixed in his mind to go see how the preparations for their next visit to Earth were going. Hopefully none of Fowler's superiors were going to make a fuss about it.

Once it had been okayed, he had thought of little else, admittedly. He did not even realize how much he missed Miko until then, and he had thought he had missed her enough already, but Knock Out had completely interrupted his thoughts then as he stood there in the shadow of the setting sun on one side of a freshly-made building.

"Yeah?" asked Bulkhead still somewhat absently.

Knock Out cocked his head strangely, and he winced even stranger at the air before returning to Bulkhead as though his presence was almost an afterthought.

"Do you think I'm good at being good?"

For a few seconds Bulkhead's mind went nearly blank, and he stared at Knock Out with a wince similar to the one Knock Out had given. After all, he asked his question almost as carelessly as he said anything else, which made it all the more difficult to think about, but his face was earnest as far as Bulkhead could decipher.

Blinking the blankness away Bulkhead took a step towards him and rubbed his chin.

"That _is_ a strange question," he admitted, and he shrugged. "Well, uh…well, I think you're well on your way. I mean it can't be easy to be one thing one day and the next day something else, right? Besides, it's not easy being good for anyone really."

After a brief pause Knock Out shrugged and then smiled. "Right. Just curious."

Without another word, Knock Out withdrew, leaving Bulkhead to consider what had just taken place a moment longer.

#

When Starscream woke again he felt as though he had only blinked and was still just finished begging Shockwave to postpone stasis, but he did feel better. His felt more mentally stable. The sickening humming sound had stopped, and his head seemed back to the way it should be. The strain and heat had vanished, and he even felt more relaxed. The rest of his body was not up to full functionality, he knew that much already from the dull pain, but he was much closer.

"How long was I out this time, Shockwave?" he murmured.

"Long enough."

"That long," moaned Starscream, "that you don't wish to share?"

"Any new tool or part must be acquired with the utmost caution," replied Shockwave. "And I have also had need of repairing myself after you were beyond the risk of going offline."

"Yes," murmured Starscream with care. "About that? How is it that the Predacons did not terminate me? You seemed so hesitant to tell me last time. I believe I have a right to know. It's not just as simple as the brutes did not bother to see for certain I was not still functioning."

"They could no longer reach you," said Shockwave. "You were in an exhaust pipe driven into the ground."

"Well, at least I was clever enough for that," muttered Starscream trying to remember anything beyond fear and pain during that miserable episode.

"You were terribly burned when I found you," Shockwave went on, "Also by the time I reached you, you were, in fact, just going offline."

Starscream eyed him suspiciously, unsure if he had heard him just right.

"What do you mean?" he asked.

"I saw your spark flicker out just after I pulled you out of the piping."

Shivering now, Starscream grabbed him despite all weakness and pain.

"I was offline!? How did you bring me back!?" he demanded.

Shockwave rather tersely removed Starscream and pushed him roughly back onto the table.

Starscream let out a sick cry.

"I am well-versed in the ability to use spark to spark resuscitation, and you were not out long enough for there to be permanent damage relating to the termination of your spark. You had enough energy then for me to at least get you somewhere where I could stop the energon leakage and slowly work towards your recovery."

There was a short pause with the patient and his mad scientist doctor hovering over him.

"Oh," said Starscream then making a face. He could not help but wonder when in the universe Shockwave had ever used such a thing before, but he soon smoothed out his face again and said with some irritation, "All right then. That explains it. Thank you."

Shockwave stared at him a moment longer and then said, "Now, I have other pressing matters to discuss with you such as—"

Starscream gasped suddenly as he looked down at himself and realized that it was more than just some removed plates on his chest, but that he was missing just about all of his outer casing and all of his weaponry.

"How much of me is still damaged?!" Starscream cried. "I don't feel bad enough for all this anymore even if this does explain the draft!"

After a most disgruntled pause, Shockwave retorted, "Your outer casing was nearly melted off when I found you. Even some of your face was severely damaged. Almost all of it was beyond repair. It did its job in protecting you before your cooling systems no longer worked. It is not logical to dwell on what happened. You are functional now. I have just been able to coax your body into making its own coolants again properly, and you should be thankful for that. You're outer casings will be replaced in time, but I have already told you the difficulty I have had in obtaining material and energon. Do you not agree, despite your emotional instability, that obtaining parts for your internal damage takes priority over the outer?"

"But you have all _your_ outer casing!" Starscream protested. "Where did you get yours?"

"I was not as severely damaged as you were." The tone of his voice suggested that Shockwave was having serious regrets about helping Starscream at all, and it was not lost upon the patient.

"All right. All right. I understand. I'm just recovering," said Starscream rather sheepishly and he croaked the rest weakly for extra measure, "I don't feel well. You understand."

There was another pause before Shockwave responded again, "I try not to understand you, Starscream. It is a most illogical pursuit."

" _Hmph_!" said Starscream. "Well. What was it you were going to tell me?"

"As soon as you are functional enough to rise, we are going to depart. I have caught a faint signal and message. It was only for a short time, and it was of Decepticon frequency."

"Do you think it's a trap?" asked Starscream instantly interested.

"I doubt it. It was executed too deceptively. I might have missed it. It was meant to be unseen by the Autobots."

"And what did it say?" Starscream demanded.

"To follow it."

"And did you trace it?" asked Starscream.

"To one of the moons, yes," said Shockwave.

"I have to get well enough to fly to it," said Starscream nodding and he thought a moment. "But I'll probably be detected."

"I still possess the energy cloaking device."

"What about you and this base in the meantime?" asked Starscream.

"I shall be accompanying you."

"I'm flattered by your confidence in me," Starscream retorted, "but I don't think I will be able to carry you with the speed necessary to reach the moon without fear of detection by other means _besides_ scanning us out. There are still optics about, and some of them will put us both offline."

"I have taken the initiative of acquiring a new vehicle mode, one which is similar to the one I had before but with the ability to hover so that I can take flight with you."

Starscream chuckled snidely. "And keep up? Remember the Predacons. The only reason they caught _me_ was because they had me by surprise in an enclosed—"

"We'll be safe with the energy cloaking device from the Autobots, and the Predacons are well away from where we are now," interrupted Shockwave calmly, and after one more pause he leaned over Starscream with a severe tone, "If you possess any sense, Starscream, I advise you to start being more cooperative with and grateful to the one who made your recovery possible."

Again Starscream chuckled, but it was far more submissive a sound.

"I understand, Shockwave. Completely and utterly."

#

"Ah, Earth!" sighed Knock Out in reverie as though even through the space bridge he could smell it, "I can already feel the blazing tar of a long stretch of desert road. It's about time I get myself a new vehicle mode too."

When he had lived on Earth he had changed it about once a year. He recalled fondly the times he went to the car shows just out of the way of everyone. Some humans some years had actually thought him part of the show as he had displayed last year's model until he had found the car he wanted. Then he had to escape with it secretly in case anyone thought he was stealing it, and there was no need to alarm the silly natives. He also recalled with fond memory the voice of Breakdown almost every year saying, "But you just changed your vehicle mode." Even then Knock Out loved being told that. It just made it all the more rewarding when the new vehicle was his. Besides after a few years he could tease Breakdown and say, "Well, it's been so long since you've changed yours that someone's going to try to steal you as an antique one of these days!" "Then I'll just scare 'em off or snuff 'em out if I have to!" Breakdown would say, but in the end Knock Out would convince him to change.

He smiled smugly now as he turned to Bumblebee.

"After you, Mr. President!" he said throwing a magnificent bow towards the portal prepared for their way.

Bumblebee raised a brow, but not without some amusement before he took the first step towards it. Bulkhead was right behind him unable to hide his eagerness.

Arcee hesitated and looked behind her at Ultra Magnus and Smokescreen. She looked to be having second thoughts about leaving Cybertron. She had not liked that Wheeljack had left already on his ship after some possible signal he and Ultra Magnus had left behind when they hurried back to Cybertron with Quickshift and Jetfire. Jetfire was stable for now and Quickshift an able and eager helper, but she did not like so many of them leaving Cybertron. If something happened while she was gone, she would find it difficult to forgive herself, especially since it was so close for the smaller hatchlings (the hatched in order of which would grew the least) to come out of the hatchery. She had already named the smallest one Flare Up, and she and the others would need all the integration they could get from all of the team…all of the family.

"We'll be fine!" Smokescreen promised with a wave.

Bumblebee paused and turned around as he allowed Bulkhead through first.

"Arcee?" he asked.

Arcee did not seem to hear at first, but she slowly turned to him.

"We won't be gone long," he said kindly. "Don't worry, okay? Jack's waiting for you."

Arcee smiled briefly, and then followed Bumblebee.

Then with a lackadaisical shrug Knock Out took up the rear. He could already hear the shriek of delight from Miko at the sight of Bulkhead on the other side, and he murmured again, "Ah, Earth."

Miko was the first of the humans Knock Out saw too once passing through to the other side of the portal. Ratchet was actually the very first person he saw, but he only passed him by with a knowing smile, because Ratchet did not look overly pleased to see him. Not that Miko truly was either, but she was so happy to see Bulkhead that she did not notice at first.

The children had changed some since their Autobot friends had left them. They were a little older. Raf had grown somewhat taller, and Jack's face was not quite as smooth as it once had been. Miko had cut her hair short but still stylized, and it was now almost entirely pink so that the darkness of her natural hair color became the streaks rather than the other way around.

"I almost was thinking of joining the military so I could be the weapon's expert, you know. Even my mom wasn't going to talk me out of it, but it just wasn't the same, Bulkhead. Nothing's the same as all the great stuff we got to do and all the serious stuff too! Oh, and I changed my hair, see? I'm starting college, right? So I decided to make myself more grown up!"

Knock Out could see the shorter hair and the slightly more subdued clothing, but otherwise he saw no difference physically or mentally.

But Bulkhead said nonetheless though with much fondness, "Don't grow up too fast."

"Hey, you were the one who said I should go to college, remember? And I'm going to flight school. It was the only thing I could think of that wouldn't bore me. It's still nothing like going into space, but I'm going to fly those people who film weird geography and whatever or maybe be a rescue pilot! I'm gunna do something, and I wanted it something worthwhile! I mean somebody's gotta be a flyer on this team besides Fowler! Even with all that I'd rather just go with you on Cybertron." She lowered her head briefly.

Jack, who had just been greeting Arcee, turned then despite himself and said, "Hey, I've been in college a year and I still don't know what I'm doing."

"I thought you were going to work towards a governmental career," said Arcee gently as she knelt beside him.

"Well!" said Jack now looking embarrassed. "Well, I was…I mean, I was thinking about it. I'm mean we're all technically E agents anyway, but…then…I don't know. Maybe it's something like Miko said, the Earth government besides this agency just isn't as simple as it was fighting alongside you. It's just different."

Now on Bulkhead's shoulder, Miko said with a shrug, "I just meant that it was boring!"

Jack shrugged back and turned back to Arcee, "First I was thinking political science, then I was thinking some kind of engineering, and that was even before college started. I thought about science, but I can't do that like Raf can. I know he's going to go into science. He could probably earn a degree right now." He smiled. "And I have no doubt he'll work with interplanetary relations better than anyone, but as for college I just—I don't know."

"I know you'll figure it out," said Arcee. "I wish I could make a suggestion, but I don't know enough about Earth for that. But I understand. It's hard to pick up life after such times as we had."

"Well, you guys more than me. It was years for you," said Jack.

"Yeah, but years I don't think mean quite the same thing to us as they do for you. But you're right. I think only necessity drives me now otherwise I'd probably be as lost as you. There's so much to do on Cybertron."

"I wish I could help," said Jack.

"I know…"

The first thing Raf had done when he saw Bumblebee was to hug him tightly even if it was only around not much higher than the ankle. He had felt so grown up just moments before. After all since Fowler could not be there to greet them he had been in charge of that, but he felt like a little boy again back with Bumblebee. Tears even started to form, but he held them back even if he could not hide the sniffle. For a time, though he withdrew from his hug and straightened his glasses, he and Bumblebee did not speak. Neither knew exactly what to say anyway, but words were not necessary at first. He may have been the one among the three children to have the most contact with the Cybertronians being still a partner with Ratchet on Earth and not having to deal with college yet, but he had not been able to see Bumblebee for just the same amount of time as the others had not been able to see their once-guardians.

"So," said Raf then. "How're things on your end?"

Bumblebee grinned. "Tough…but plenty rewarding."

"Yeah, I heard."

"Tell me how things are going with you?"

Meanwhile Knock Out and Ratchet having no one to talk to had been content for the first few moments with just watching the reunions, but at last Knock Out turned to Ratchet with a broad queer grin and crossed his arms.

"Spark-warming, isn't it?" he said.

Ratchet's pleasant expression fell, and he rolled his eyes reluctantly to Knock Out. Not wanting to make any kind of scene, he said quietly and calmly, "Is there any particular reason why _you're_ here?"

"Just because I don't have a human partner doesn't mean I don't have an Earth one," said Knock Out lightly. "My chosen sports car is my partner, and what a fine partner she is."

" _Hmph_ , really?" said Ratchet.

"Besides," Knock Out continued to tease, "my superiors were going so I had to come too. It was officially decided. I'm on a strict leash if that makes you happy."

It obviously did not, and Ratchet looked away forlornly.

"Okay, enough talk, let's go for a drive!" exclaimed Miko suddenly.

Everyone agreed including Knock Out who said at the suggestion, "About time."

"With the group, right?" asked Ratchet with a raised brow, for Knock Out was just beside him.

"I wouldn't want to get in the way of bonding time," said Knock Out. "Besides I need to get my new automobile. I was told I could."

"Oh, he won't do anything," said Bumblebee with a shrug. "Why don't you come with Raf and me, Ratchet? You look like you need a break too." And to Knock Out he said, "You can come with us or go get your new automobile, Knock Out. Just be back, and don't do anything illegal. Cuz if we do find out that you have you'll have to go back to Cybertron."

"No street racing," said Knock Out with a merry salute. "I understand, Mr. President. I promise nothing against Earth's laws will be performed by me, and I'll be back by dinner time like a good boy."

Miko snorted and with a grin she asked Bumblebee, "So what? He's like your adopted son now?"

Bumblebee looked somewhat embarrassed, but Knock Out was already out the door.


	5. Time Waits for No One

JMJ

FIVE: TIME WAITS FOR NO ONE

"I suggest we move now," said Shockwave. "We will be given up as terminated if we do not make our appearance."

"What do you mean 'now'?" Starscream demanded, sitting up from the table in alarm, and he threw his hands down towards himself. "I'm not covered! I may not even be able to fly properly!"

"I will double check your wings to make sure, but you _will_ be able to fly _today_."

"But we don't even know who's contacted us!"

"I do," said Shockwave.

"Who?"

"Lord Megatron."

"But—But that's impossss…!" and Starscream paused with care and faked a cough before continuing. "Yes, yes, well—I mean. What about my outer casing? You can't expect me to appear before Lord Megatron in such an undignified state."

"I will complete you when we are together again," said Shockwave. "If Megatron is contacting Decepticons to return to him then he must have a means to continue in some fashion better than the way I have been here."

"You have so much faith in his lordship," scoffed Starscream.

"And you don't?"

"That's not what I meant!" said Starscream quickly. "The Autobots still possess the _Nemesis_ , after all, do they not? I doubt Lord Megatron could find a better ship so quickly! And I won't go above ground unless I'm covered, do I make myself clear? I refuse! Besides being undignified it's not safe and not healthy!"

"Then I will devise a temporary means of covering you and you will not complain about it," said Shockwave and he spoke very dangerously. "Because we are going to go together, Starscream, or you will be a traitor."

"I hardly think my care for my own well being makes me a traitor!" retorted Starscream.

"Not in this particular situation, no, but there are plenty of other possible opportunities for you to betray that are highly likely, especially if you were to be discovered by the Autobots," said Shockwave simply.

Again Starscream paused, and he eyed Shockwave very carefully for a moment.

"Is that a threat?" said Starscream.

"No. A warning. If I leave you here and you are discovered without my cloaking device, you will not be able to resist the Autobots should they interrogate you. Because of your pusillanimous nature you _will_ reveal this conversation to our enemies."

"I most certainly would not! What do you take me for?"

Shockwave did not grace that with a response. Instead he told him to turn around so that he could have one more look at his wings. Although hesitant, Starscream obeyed, and although he did not want to go through with Shockwave's initiative, he felt utterly relieved to hear that his wings were functional.

He had some more outer casing than he had before. Naturally, Shockwave would not have forced him out completely exposed, but what was exposed Starscream felt bad enough, especially a certain open gap way too near his T-cog, but it also felt quite dangerous too that he had a couple missing plates on his arms and legs. Not to mention he was still at least missile-less—that made him feel more naked than not having any of his outer casing. At least the lasers worked again. The rest was merely for dignity's sake at the moment like his long crest on his helm still broken in half or a broken chunk from each shoulder caps.

"And what are you going to cover me with?" Starscream demanded then. "Putting coverings on does take time, especially in our circumstances, even temporary ones, according to you."

"Extremely temporary," said Shockwave musing upon their stash of energon.

By his tone, Starscream knew that he was not going to like what Shockwave said next, and already Starscream glowered miserably for it…

#

"I can't believe this!" hissed Starscream as he was forced into the elevator shaft. "You have time to fix this shaft, but you don't have time to cover me and now _this_ is what you do! I've never been so insulted! Not in all my life!"

He was covered alright, but it was little more than a tarp that had once been covering containers of energon. It was not a stiff material and draped over him cloak-like. He was reminded briefly of his dream where he had worn a cloak proudly, and the irony was not lost upon him. In fact he wondered if some of that dream had been part of his delirium and if Shockwave had heard some of it. Maybe he was doing this somehow to spite him. Starscream could never be too sure about Shockwave, but he knew enough to know that Shockwave liked him about as much as he liked Shockwave. Not that very many Decepticons were known for liking each other.

As the bright light of the moons shone through at the top of the shaft, Starscream almost instinctively huddled tighter inside his cloak, regardless, and pulled some of it up over his head to form a hood against the cool air and the exposed space of the outside world. It was as if he had been in a time capsule only to reemerge, and he would have rather just stayed in the timeless space below. Although it did not take more than a couple seconds for Cybertronian optics to get used to a change of light (and this was merely moonlight not daylight), Starscream still blinked and shuddered from the change. It was all in his head, for feeling so embarrassed and vulnerable.

Shockwave stepped out before him, and did not even bother looking back at Starscream as he set out. After a few moments more of looking up at the brilliant sky above winking at him with millions of stars through a thin veil of colored clouds, he looked beside him. He jumped in alarm to see Shockwave no longer there, and after adjusting himself he scurried after Shockwave like a half drowned rat that had pulled himself out of sewer up onto a well-lit city street.

But the only lights were celestial aside from the glow from his and Shockwave's optics, and on the horizon in the distance Starscream could see the light of the new Cybertronian capital. Curiosity and fear bloomed together inside of him as well as an unhealthy dose of resentfulness, but if it was true and Megatron did have plans for their age-old enemies then they would be plucked like a lone bulb of light from their socket before they knew what hit them.

 _Unless…_ he thought with a shudder.

Unless Megatron was tricking Shockwave and him out of hiding to destroy them himself, because he truly had given up the Decepticon Cause and wanted to get rid of any loose ends!

Was that paranoia?

He could not be sure, but a Megatron that could quit the Decepticons one day and come back another was a Megatron unstable and unpredictable. That was the one thing that had always made working for Megatron easier than not. He was predictable and deliberate and, as far as Starscream considered him, slow to make decisions.

 _At least he used to be,_ Starscream thought as he pulled his hood further over his head as he sunk into his shoulder caps.

Maybe he should explain Megatron to Shockwave properly. It was too late for him to not help him because of it, and that had been the only thing that had kept him from telling him sooner. He debated with himself about it until Shockwave stopped and looked up at one of the moons in particular and said its name out loud.

Starscream let out a purposeful cough to get his attention, and after an annoyed pause, Shockwave slowly turned to him.

Starscream wrung his spidery hands together and then spoke.

"Listen, Shockwave. There's something I need to tell you about—"

"There is no time for second thoughts, Starscream," said Shockwave, and without another word he transformed into his new hovering tank-like craft.

Closing his eyes with a heavy moan, Starscream hated the fact that he had never been so reluctant to transform before, but he did it, and allowed Shockwave to lead the way. He was faster than Starscream thought he would have been, but Starscream still could have flown circles around him had he desired. Though, to fly circles might have lost him his cloak. He was a strange sight, an Earth jet with a tarp flapping over it as it broke through the atmosphere of a planet light-years away from Earth and up to a moon as it followed the flying alien tank.

He landed before Shockwave, and immediately he thought he saw a Cybertronian jet flying towards them before Shockwave did. It was the welcome, and it was not a Vehicon seeker. It was of the same mass of a craft that Starscream transformed into. He watched wide-eyed, consumed with the thought that he had long ago become the only Cybertronian of his model left alive. Yet whoever this happened to be was quite alive and quite well and quite willing to show off as he transformed in mid flight higher up than Starscream had and flipped with minimal movement before landing in front of Starscream with aerial grace and careless ease as though it was only habit to perform the minor stunt and nothing he thought about anymore.

"Skywarp!" hissed Starscream forgetful of his state at the moment.

Shockwave landed beside Starscream now in his usual form as well and asked, "Where is Lord Megatron?"

"I'm here to take you to him," said Skywarp in a voice about as high pitched as Starscream's but it was smooth and far more controlled.

He did look much like Starscream, but like his voice he was all smoother and more controlled. The black and silver behind royal purple coating added all the more to his straighter cut, slimmer brows, and, at the moment, especially, more normal and dignified posture as though it was only naturally for him instead of forced as Starscream when trying to look important even on his best days.

"I thought you were destroyed!" Starscream exclaimed. "The last I heard of you, you were at one of the lost bases during the great communications and intelligence breach, and such bases were attacked by Autobots during our confusion."

"The base was lost," said Skywarp flippantly. "But apparently fools were sent to destroy mine. We won the fight, but were stranded."

"Surely you would have run out of energon!" said Starscream. "I know you were in charge of a mine, but surely it was almost run dry by the time the communications went down. I remember you were soon to be recalled."

"I was the only one there besides Vehicons," said Skywarp shortly. "With what was left, their commanding officer takes priority. Rations included."

"Well!" said Starscream. After a brief pause in which he pictured Skywarp lazily enjoying his rations while the Vehicons slowly starved around him, he added, "You're about the same as I remember you."

As Starscream spoke Skywarp glanced down at Starscream's state and then returned to his face.

"You are too," he said with a brief unpleasant smile.

Burning with embarrassment Starscream's eyes flashed with anger as he pulled the tarp closer around him, but Skywarp had already turned around and led the way to seemingly nowhere, but Starscream soon saw the open hatch of an otherwise invisible ship.

"Where did that come from?" demanded Starscream.

"Lord Megatron found it after flying from Cybertron by his own power.

"It must've been pretty far too if no one else knew about it beforehand, but then there is no stronger flyer by his own merit," Starscream said sagely.

"He managed to fix it himself enough for use," Skywarp added, "though the _Black Hole_ is no _Nemesis_."

"No indeed," said Starscream as they ascended the ramp and stepped inside the corridor. The ship was of an older and cruder make, and not nearly as spacious. Starscream also guessed that it was not nearly as large as a command ship either. "But I'm assuming that after he made it operational that he used it to find you?"

Skywarp nodded. "He'll want you to fix it the rest of the way, though."

"I'm not a mechanic," retorted Starscream.

"I believe he is referring to me," said Shockwave even though Starscream had already realized that right after he had spoken.

"It may not be the _Nemesis_ , as you say," Starscream hurried along the conversation, "but it obviously has as good of a cloak if the Autobots have not been able to detect you."

"Hmm," was all Skywarp said.

After a short pause, Starscream asked, "So what is Lord Megatron hatching now? Do you know?"

"That's for Lord Megatron to tell," said Skywarp simply and as the doors to the main deck opened there was Lord Megatron, as atmospheric as ever he looked.

Starscream halted and shivered despite himself and feeling very self conscious about his cloak, but it was more than self consciousness that made Starscream uncomfortable. There was something about the cruder atmosphere of the _Black Hole_ that made the ship feel tired and old, something about the crude reddish lights that were almost orange like lights about to go out rather than blood-shot passion. There was something about the way Megatron looked: tired, old, angry, but it was a dull, old, and tired sort of anger. He may not have looked hurt physically; though he had changed his vehicle-mode again, it seemed, to something a little bleaker than usual. Through the anger in his quite characteristic red glowing eyes, Starscream saw a weary but strangely determined misery, and Megatron's misery somehow frightened him more than his wrath ever had.

Shifting awkwardly and wishing he could disappear beneath his cloak, he watched as Megatron without moving from his stance stared first at Skywarp, then at Shockwave, and then settling on him.

"Welcome back, Starscream," he said, and though he only stared at Starscream briefly it almost felt to him that Megatron had just scanned him through to the very deepest corners of his spark so that for a moment Starscream felt very ill and had nothing to say in return but only let his mouth hang slightly ajar. He felt the need to pant slightly to cool himself.

But quite abruptly Megatron's gaze left him and returned to Shockwave.

"Shockwave," he nodded to him.

"My lord," said Shockwave with patient reverence.

"Master!" gasped Starscream quickly then with a bow, and he lifted his head and grinned nervously. "How good to see that everything is going well considering our setbacks. I must admit that I'm overjoyed and at a loss that you have changed your mind so quickly to resuming your position unless it was all just a ruse for the Autobots." He chuckled strangely. "You'll be pleased to know that Shockwave and myself have not been idle in your absence."

Although looking plenty annoyed, Megatron said steadily, "They are not aware of your activity I hope."

Starscream lowered his head so that the rim of his hood shielded his discomfited eyes.

"Negative, my lord," said Shockwave, and he held up his cloaking device. "We were shielded the entire time before and after we left Cybertron."

"Resourceful," said Megatron, and turning away from the trio to the window facing Cybertron, he said, "Skywarp."

"My lord," said Skywarp with a minimalistic bow.

"Take them out to freshen up and fill them in, if you have not already," said Megatron. "We're still waiting for our guest so that the meeting can begin."

"Guest?" asked Starscream with an exaggerated brow.

"We aren't staying around Cybertron long," said Skywarp with a brief motion of his hand for Shockwave and Starscream to follow him out the door, and the refugees slowly followed as expected.

"Where's our next destination then?' asked Starscream as the doors closed behind him.

"A planet called Earth," said Skywarp. "Lord Megatron tells me some of the last stages of the war were fought there."

"Yes," said Starscream glancing at Shockwave, who suddenly did not look entirely comfortable himself. "The Predacons and all that business."

"I heard," said Skywarp.

"What is the purpose of going to Earth?" pressed Shockwave.

"I don't know," admitted Skywarp. "Maybe if I had been there before. It isn't much of a planet when we visited, but he is building an empire there. He's already started it."

"But how did you get there without a properly working ship?" Starscream demanded.

"With difficulty," Skywarp admitted, "but we have started a base. We need someone to fix it up with a bridge, and the ship, of course. Lord Megatron was hoping for Soundwave. Have you heard anything about him?"

"No," said Shockwave.

"Disappointing," said Skywarp in a tone that told that he felt quite the opposite.

"So he's taking over Earth, and…!" demanded Starscream impatiently. "What about Cybertron? Now is the perfect time to strike when they think they've won." He banged his fist into his other palm at the word "strike".

"Cybertron is the ultimate goal," said Skywarp, "but not yet. Lord Megatron has plans for their new leader, the only casualty."

"He thinks he can get everyone to cooperate even if he _can_ kill Optimus Prime?" Starscream scoffed. "What's he going to do? Trade Earth for Cybertron? 'The only casualty'. What does that mean?"

Skywarp shrugged as though thoroughly bored.

Starscream shook his head, "And even with legions behind us, we've never been able to say that we can just simply count on our killing Op—"

"Optimus Prime is offline," said Shockwave.

"What?!" Starscream demanded. "How can he be offline? Lord Megatron did not kill him. He left with a temporary truce."

After a period of silence, Skywarp said, "You two should freshen up, especially, you Starscream. You don't want to appear before a guest like that. The _Black Hole_ may not be much, but it has a decent enough medical bay for you to cover properly."

Starscream snorted. "And the guest?"

"Lockdown."

"Lockdown!" Starscream repeated. "He's coming _here_?! He's a disgrace to our race! He doesn't deserve to be called Cybertronian! That treacherous bounty hunter! That bastard who played both sides before running off has no right to be in the presence of our lord and master!"

"If our lord and master wishes it," Skywarp shrugged, and he pointed down a hall. "The medical bay's easy to spot down that way. See what you can do with him, Shockwave."

"I'll try."

Starscream growled as Skywarp promptly left them.

"You know I'm still the first lieutenant commander, don't you Skywarp?" he called threateningly as he threw off his cloak in a passion. "I haven't been demoted! I still outrank you!"

Skywarp did not answer. He did not even look back before disappearing onto the deck again with the door closing behind him.

"You owe me some sort of _respect_!" Starscream snarled, and his voice cracked.


	6. The Rightful Savior

JMJ

SIX: THE RIGHTFUL SAVIOR

Flare Up, the smallest of the new generation, was fully developed enough to leave the hatchery. That was what they were told through the space bridge, and everyone happened to be there even Knock Out who apparently felt that six o'clock was a good time for human dinner. The children had brought Chinese takeout and were halfway through eating it by the time Knock Out arrived, which disappointed him slightly since he had wanted to beat supper.

But though the news was an interruption to everyone's visit, there was no better news to be interrupted with. Arcee especially looked hesitant when Smokescreen's voice on the other end of the portal asked if she would come to help since she had wanted to be there for Flare Up.

"Hey," said Jack seeing the pucker on her face. "You should be there. I'll be here when you get back. Don't worry."

"I might not be able to get back once I'm there until after the vacation's over," Arcee admitted.

Jack shrugged. "You know my dorm now. Just hop over."

"Yeah!" agreed Miko. "Now that you guys came this time, you can come _any_ time you want!"

"Well," said Bulkhead hesitantly. "We are doing this through permission of Earth."

"It's not like you guys broke anything!" said Miko. "You have _my_ permission. _I'm_ from Earth. Besides, Fowler can work something out if he wants. What about interplanetary relations, hmm? They can't just be through Ratchet and Raf!"

"I'll be back," Arcee promised Jack. "Thank you for understanding."

Jack nodded.

And with that Arcee went through the portal. She would not physically have to be there. The others on Cybertron would have been able to handle it, especially with Ultra Magnus there, but in her mind, she had to be there. It was only too bad that it had to break up their vacation; though she could not allow herself to call it unfortunate.

No birth no matter when it happened must ever be thought of as unfortunate or a burden. That was what had been decided. So far even the Vehicons were treated at least as some sort of distant relations, and Knock Out and Jetfire were more them welcomed as long lost prodigal sons even if the brothers sometimes felt a little bitter at times, but so much more should the hatchlings be loved from the beginning—that the young generation of Cybertron be taught from before hatching the love, loyalty, and dignity of their new family and hopefully prevent any member from either feeling wronged or feeling superior so as to restart the Decepticons or anything similar.

They would be a family no matter what—not a school, not a planet-wide machine, but a real family, and they had already planned on how most of the little ones would be split up among them, their own children as it were. Flare Up was one of Arcee's hatchlings.

"Tell us all about her when you get back!" called Jack.

"I will!" Arcee called back, and she sounded very cheerful, perhaps more cheerful than Jack had ever had heard her.

"Sure wish I could see Cybertron now," said Jack even though Arcee had already greeted Smokescreen on the other side.

"Me too," said Raf.

"Someday we will!" exclaimed Miko. "Right, Bulkhead?"

"Hopefully," said Bulkhead. "I thought you three were all going to eventually get the suits to come visit us someday when you're old enough."

"We're old enough now," said Miko. "I told you sixteen is when humans are considered grown up."

"Maybe in Japan," said Jack with a smile.

"Well, why can't they go to Cybertron?" said Knock Out cheerfully. "We can just build a dome next to the capital, and they won't have to wear suits. Just fill it with Earth's air with all the oxygen and everything, and there are you are. Their own private human park."

"It is a nice sentiment," Ratchet admitted, "but it's not that simple. You know that."

Knock Out shrugged. "It wouldn't have to be a problem if you didn't complicate it so much. If they can be carried around in an oxygen tube I don't see what the difference would be in putting them in an oxygen dome."

"I do like the idea," admitted Bumblebee while everyone was trying to ignore the mention of that unpleasant experience of the children being kidnapped. "Raf said something like that already once."

Raf nodded and smiled. "I actually started working on some possible designs."

"Well, it still wouldn't be something that could be used often by one human," said Ratchet. "It's more than just oxygen. Foreign agents might still get in when we go in and out to see them in the 'park'."

"If the boy genius thinks it can be done…" offered Knock Out grinning cheekily.

"In the future," said Ratchet. "In time, but it isn't something that will be rushed into."

"It's not like we get poisoned by breathing next to you guys," said Miko with a shrug.

"Well, even that has crossed my mind before," Ratchet admitted. "Thankfully at least that fear can be put to rest, but even still you humans are very sensitive to such things. Cancerous growths are something that only emerges later in life even if it can be detected far earlier, I've found recently."

"And yet they live with toxins and pollutants every day," smirked Knock Out, "even putting it purposely into their bodies. I mean you should've seen what some of those humans smoked and chewed and injected into their fleshy bodies when I used to race 'em, and just today I saw a whole line of field trippers going into some smoggy factory with—"

"Okay, okay," said Bumblebee. "You know what? We should stop. Ratchet has a point, you guys. He's just concerned for our friends' welfare."

"With good reason," said Bulkhead sagely and looking with especial care to Miko.

"It's a very strong possibility for the future, but not right now," said Bumblebee, and he winked at Raf. "So you keep working on it, okay?"

Raf nodded confidently.

"Hey, why don't you just bring Flare Up over here?" asked Miko then.

Everyone had to think about that one.

"It's probably better not to overwhelm her with her first days after being hatched, right, Ratchet?" asked Raf.

"Probably."

"Besides," Raf went on, "even though a freshly hatched Cybertronian may be more developed than human babies when their first born, they still have some developing to do before they're 'grown up', you know."

Now it was Ratchet who smiled fondly at the boy.

Knock Out could not help but feel somewhat left out, and he thought to himself that sometime he really should figure out a way to have a human friend of his own someday.

#

"Ah…!" exclaimed Starscream. "It's good to be in full form!"

He did not even mind that they were going to a meeting with Megatron and Lockdown, and he smiled almost good naturedly at Skywarp when he showed up in the hall to meet him and Shockwave. Skywarp stared rather bored-looking under lazy lids that were otherwise emotionless as he turned to Starscream.

"In fact, I think I look better than before my injuries," Starscream continued to remark.

"I made it quite clear, Starscream, that I would have been capable of fixing you better and sooner if it had not been for our circumstances," said Shockwave. "I explained to you the ill logic of remaining on Cybertron."

Starscream flung an arm behind his back and straightened importantly.

"So you did!" he said with a somewhat patronizing air and an ever widening grin. "But it's all in the past now, wouldn't you agree? And the future of the Decepticons is awaiting us behind those doors."

"I wouldn't get too excited," murmured Skywarp mysteriously.

But Starscream's spirits would not be dampened. "What? Do you not have faith in our illustrious master, Skywarp? I'm surprised at you."

"It's not that," replied Skywarp in a dull sort of tone, "but _you_ probably won't be so happy when you find out what Lord Megatron has to say."

" _Pshah_!" said Starscream as the doors to the deck opened before them. "I'm not afraid of—!"

Skywarp smiled vilely, but very briefly before resuming his bored expression. He left Starscream's side for his fellow flight to feel the full awkwardness of his situation by himself.

Naturally Lockdown was standing not but a few Cybertronian feet away. He did not reveal whether or not he had heard Starscream, but he only stared at him as though he was staring as the most pathetic and miserable heap of scrap he had ever laid eyes upon. The fact that he stared at almost everyone like that; however, did make it a little less disturbing to Starscream; though he still resented it profoundly.

" _Ahem_!" said Starscream after a little squeak of surprise, and he straightened himself. "Excuse me."

He passed him by, not allowing himself to be intimidated by Lockdown's height and berth which was almost that of Megatron's. He was so covered in gadgets that Starscream could not imagine that it did not slow him down, after all. Usually, three attachments were about as much as a Cybertronian could handle, not to mention it was unseemly to have much more, but then Lockdown was not a normal Cybertronian. He never had been.

The council had feared Lockdown. Some said the Prime had feared him; though he had played by the rules before the start of the war—at least in their sight. He was very good at defying authority behind their backs, but then on the other hand he had never pretended interest in the Decepticons either or Megatron, who he considered an emotionalist revolutionary and doomed to failure. Not even when he had been paid to help them had he pretended otherwise.

The fact that he required pay in itself made him a freak, Starscream thought. Cybertronians were bought off by loyalty and often ideas and power, but Lockdown was the only Cybertronian Starscream knew of who truly did want physical pay. Not money, of course. He was not that low, unless it was convenient with other races, but he was paid with game or weaponry and tools for his game. Loyalty was a thing wiped from his instinctive programming. Starscream did not know exactly when Lockdown had come into the universe. Lockdown was far older than he was, but Starscream doubted whether he was truly Cybertronian at all and not just some freak coincidence that resembled one.

So in the end; though the look Lockdown gave Starscream was as demeaning as they get, the look Starscream gave Lockdown in return proved not much better. The only difference was that Lockdown thought Starscream so below him that he was beyond responding to it, and he certainly resented nothing.

"Now that everyone is here," said Megatron from an elevated platform, which he was at that moment descending with a notable air, "we shall begin. The first order of business is with Lockdown before he becomes impatient. You are to go down to Cybertron and dispose as quickly as possible of their leader."

"I knew that Optimus Prime wasn't offline!" said Starscream turning to Skywarp defiantly. "He's injured. He _must_ be injured!" He turned to Megatron. "But why leave the honor of killing your main adversary whose constant survival has eaten away at your very spark, Master, to a mere _bounty hunter_." He spat out the last words with petty contempt.

"I find it amusing that after all these years your first lieutenant is still alive," remarked Lockdown crossing his arms.

"Optimus Prime is offline, Starscream," said Megatron ignoring Lockdown for now. "I saw his demise with my own eyes. I did not leave Cybertron completely until after the sparks flew."

"But I saw you fly—uh, yes, Master," said Starscream humbly, but the pause he left did not leave time to restart the meeting before Starscream spoke again, "but without Optimus Prime then the Autobots will be ripe for the taking, especially since they believe that you have given up the Decepticon Cause to retire to some hole in the universe. Why do we need help from the likes of a traitor to our race!?"

Megatron was looking at Shockwave most of the time as Starscream spoke. Though, Shockwave wisely remained silent, his silence seemed to prove to Megatron that he was as much in the dark as Starscream.

"I don't trust you," said Megatron then turning to Starscream. "Any of you. I can't even trust Skywarp to explain things ahead of time. Your incompetence is unbounded. The Decepticons perished with Optimus Prime."

"Please, master!" gasped Starscream in utter horror. "Give me a chance to prove myself! I'll admit my mistakes and admit that I have faults, but I am more trustworthy than Lockdown! I promise you that as the commander I will whip the Decepticons into top form in no time!"

"You misunderstand me, Starscream," said Megatron. "Keep your mouth shut until I'm finished. Is the only thing that would make you shut up, snuffing your spark? You are not the commander of the Decepticons."

"But—" Starscream glanced suspiciously to Skywarp as though the position had been given to him. He had already suspected it from the start and hatred of Skywarp seethed into a furnace within milliseconds.

"There are no Vehicons for you to command!" snapped Megatron startling Starscream to attention, and he stepped over Starscream dangerously close so that Starscream could feel his rage radiating hot off of him. "The Autobots are correct in one thing. They have defeated the Decepticons. There are no Decepticons. There are only Cybertronians, and I have vowed it upon the Allspark that it shall always remain thus. There are to be no more needless deaths or needless divisions. No more needless control. No more insufferable armadas led by incompetent fools with destruction only on their minds. The new leader of the Autobots will be the last sacrifice. The way I shall run things aboard the _Black Hole_ shall be the prelude to my reign on Cybertron. I will assume command, because I am the only one left capable. Do you think that Bumblebee can rule all of Cybertron once the next generation has reached maturity?"

" _Bumblebee_!?" cried Starscream as though the very idea struck terror into him, but it was really everything else that Megatron was saying that shook him to the core. Bumblebee as leader was really no big surprise. He shook his head. "What about Earth? How does that fit into this?"

Megatron threw a mean look at Skywarp who bowed reverently.

"I apologize, my lord," said Skywarp, fear in his voice. "I thought I was only supposed to tell them about this meeting with Lockdown."

"Not a very disciplined rabble, are they?" mocked Lockdown dryly.

Jolting slightly, it was as if Megatron had temporarily forgotten their guest until that moment, and he growled low but dangerously before returning to Starscream and straightening himself as darkly as ever.

"They will trade Earth for Cybertron," said Megatron.

"You really believe you can make them abandon the new generation?" asked Starscream still fearful, but very curious despite his disappointments.

"They will have no choice. They will not leave Earth abandoned," said Megatron. "Because of Optimus Prime! Their loyalty to him and to his ways now immortalized by his death will cause them to think about their Earthly pets and their home before their own. Then they will either be able to keep Earth or join Cybertron under its rightful ruler—its rightful savior where the primes have failed. It is written in the stars, and now that I have seen the errors I have made in trying to force my goal, I will let it fall into place of its own accord without the blind hatred of the Decepticons, but with the passion, the true passion, for the life of our race including that of our previous enemies."

"Except for Bumblebee, apparently," muttered Lockdown.

Starscream found satisfaction in the slight bristling in Megatron's face in regard to that interruption, because it was directed at Lockdown.

"I warn you though, Megatron," Lockdown went on, "and I warned you already, I care for no cause Decepticon or otherwise, and Bumblebee ruling Cybertron means as much to me as you ruling it. I do nothing for favors."

"Right, Lockdown, I have not forgotten you," said Megatron. "You will have your pay."

Lockdown raised a brow.

"Predacons," said Megatron. "and not only that but the very Predacon King, the greatest of all."

"Extinct," retorted Lockdown.

"Oh, no," said Megatron. "A genetic experiment, admittedly, but just as dangerous as the original, I assure you, as well as his followers."

"Yours?" asked Lockdown.

"My scientist requested it," said Megatron glancing idly at Shockwave.

Shockwave was still silent, but Starscream sensed his ill ease, or he thought he did.

"Where was this experiment?" asked Lockdown.

"That's my part of the bargain," said Megatron with a dark smile, "for after you've hunted down the one follower of Prime that could contend against me. He is a worthy quarry, but as he won't be expecting you, you should be able to deal with him while we take the _Black Hole_ to Earth and finish what I've started. I want his head before I give you your payment."

When Lockdown seemed satisfied he withdrew, and everyone found it interesting to note that he had some kind of servant on his ship, for he hailed someone to bring it around. So even loners eventually desired help, it seemed, and that voice on the other end seemed about as competent as anyone Megatron had ever had serving under him, but no one said anything until Megatron had Skywarp escort him to the front hatch.

"My lord," said Shockwave as humbly as he could, "it is possible that Lockdown may find the Predaking before killing Bumblebee, and if that does happen, it is logical to be prepared for his abandoning your agreement."

"But you would agree, Shockwave," said Megatron, "that he will find Bumblebee before he finds any of the Predacons. The Autobots are not hiding with their messages to survivors of the war, and when Lockdown finds Bumblebee more difficult to get rid of than he anticipates, I know him enough to trust that he will find him too intriguing a prey to give up on him. Once he has his optics set on a worthy target he does not let it go until he has destroyed it."


	7. Burning Bridges

JMJ

SEVEN: BURNING BRIDGES

In the base on Earth, Ratchet did not mind being solitary for a while. Not that he did not like everyone there, but it was peaceful to work on some project that was not too serious and feeling pleasant knowing that the human children were with their old partners again. He got to see Raf every day, after all, and he saw Jack often enough, and Miko at times, but the others had not seen any of the children since the Autobots left for Cybertron.

It was the second day of the vacation, and although Arcee had gone back early, everything else could not have been more pleasant. Besides, she had left for a happy reason even if a little unexpected. Flare-Up was the smallest of the generation, and her body was developing first and quite early, but as that would not quite mean that her mind had, Arcee would have her hands full. She knew that if she needed any help Ratchet would be there in a moment too. That was why he had remained, and yet, as he worked happily in his quietude, he looked forward to when the others would return from their outing to tell him about their day.

Bulkhead, Bumblebee, Knock Out, and the humans had gone out together to some pretty, out of the way spot to spend the day.

They would not be back for some time still, Ratchet saw as he checked the time, but it was only a couple minutes afterward that he wished time and timing not so cruel when suddenly the space bridge opened on the Cybertronian side.

At first Ratchet thought Arcee needed help or was coming back for some reason, but he soon found out otherwise.

" _Ratchet_!" called the urgent voice at the other end.

Ratchet raised a brow. "Smokescreen? What happened? What's wrong?"

" _Is Bumblebee there_?" asked Smokescreen. " _What just happened is crazy_!"

"Bumblebee's with Raf," said Ratchet. "What happened? Does it have anything to do with the hatchery or the nursery?"

" _No, no! Everything's fine with them, but Lockdown was here_!"

" _Lockdown_?! What in the universe could he possibly want on Cybertron?"

" _He wanted Bumblebee_!" said Arcee suddenly. " _We tried to fight him off_."

" _He would've killed Smokescreen_!" cried the yet unfamiliar voice of Quickshift, but he guessed it was him as he had been described to him. " _But he has that_ —"

"Phase shifter, right, right," said Ratchet nodding, trying to be calm. "That was fortunate."

" _Tell me about it_ ," said Smokescreen. " _He was using me out of everyone as leverage. Some bounty hunter not seeing my trick ahead of time_!"

"He may not know about the phase shifter," said Ratchet.

" _He does now_ ," said Arcee.

" _Contact Bumblebee immediately_ ," said Ultra Magnus then, remaining the calmest out of everyone.

Ratchet nodded, and although he hated to do it, he called Bumblebee right then and there.

" _Ratchet, what's up_?" Bumblebee asked, and Ratchet groaned.

Bumblebee sounded so relaxed and cheerful on his vacation, which he needed so badly.

"You should come back now. There's been a problem back home."

" _Problem! What happened_?"

" _I think he knows where Bumblebee is too_ ," Ultra Magnus added then.

"What?" gasped Ratchet,

" _Ratchet? What is it_?" Bumblebee pressed.

" _When we didn't tell him_ ," said Arcee, " _he figured out on his own that Bumblebee was not on Cybertron._ "

To Bumblebee Ratchet managed to say, "Come back immediately and without the humans!"

He cut off their link then as he heard what more the informers had to say.

" _He didn't stick around to fight long that's for sure_!" Quickshift was saying. " _The coward. All he did was blow off a chunk of Capital Hall, the_ Star Beacon _and what's left of the_ Nemesis _._ "

"It's got nothing to do with cowardice," said Ratchet shaking his head. "Not with Lockdown. He's mad. I don't think he knows fear anymore except to sense it in others. If he did not fight back long, he did not find you worth it. Ultra Magnus is right. He's guessed where Bumblebee is. A Decepticon is the only one who could have hired him. Shockwave and Starscream are still unaccounted for, and either one of them certainly could have told him the details about Bumblebee."

" _I doubt Starscream and Shockwave would have hired him_ ," gruffed a voice further back; it was Jetfire, Ratchet guessed.

" _True_ ," said Ultra Magnus. " _They wouldn't have anything to offer him_."

" _Besides that_!" said Jetfire. " _Neither of them would have the nerve to contact the likes of him even if they could! Few Decepticons want anything to do with him anymore than Autobots do._ " And he snorted, and did not sound overly well still by what Ratchet could hear; the doctor in him hoped Jetfire had not tried to fight, but he had no time to bring it up as Jetfire went on, " _I know you said that Megatron gave up the Decepticons, but—_ "

" _I'm coming over_!" Smokescreen said over the top of him however and quite decisively. " _You're gunna need all the help you can get._ "

"Excuse _me_!" Jetfire retorted.

" _Uh, sorry_ ," Smokescreen said, but he did not get the chance to complete his offer for Jetfire to continue when Quickshift apparently pushed past them excitedly.

" _I want to come too_!" exclaimed Quickshift even more decisively than Smokescreen, but far more silly.

" _You both should go, yes, but we have to be organized about this first_ ," said Ultra Magnus.

Ratchet nodded. "Right."

" _We should talk about it more when Bumblebee gets back_ ," said Arcee. " _All together. Then you can say what you wanted to say, Jetfire_."

Although Ratchet understood her, there was something odd about the voice towards the end like static, and Jetfire's response was a muffled indecipherable grumble. Raising a brow, Ratchet was about to voice his concern, for a bridge should not have such interference even when it was having problems. It would not sound like a busted radio receiver unless something in the portal itself was screwing up the receivers. But before he could speak, someone on the other end mentioned the bridge from their side. He thought it was Smokescreen but could not be sure anymore for how it distorted. The bridge-line itself began to spark and to jolt.

"Ratchet!" cried Arcee just barely recognizable as her voice, and only because her voice was female. What she said afterwards made no sense at all, but Ratchet knew she was asking him what was wrong.

"I don't know! I don't know!" he called back although he doubted anyone on the other end could understand him.

He leapt over to see the controls, but just as he reached them there came a great explosion that flung him backwards a little and certainly destroyed the controls as well as some of the nearby equipment. Picking himself up, he could only think that this had to be some sort of trick of Lockdown's. He was a collector of gadgets and tools from his many travels throughout the known and the unknown universe that no other Cybertronian ventured to see—at least not for a thousand years and that was a long while for the technological development of most races. 

But who he lifted his optics to see was the last person he would have thought to until he thought about it a few seconds more.

"Soundwave?" he gasped then. "You figured out how to escape!"

Soundwave did not speak. He rarely, if ever did, anyway, because of his vow of silence, and although a visor covered his face, Ratchet could feel his leer.

He could also see how unwell he looked too from lack of energon. A Cybertronian body may have been able to stretch out its energon for a very long time if one kept oneself in reserve mode, but even the strongest could not outlast eternity, and Soundwave, because of how thin he was anyway, would have had a more difficult time physically than Jetfire. He may not have acquired rust quite yet, but he was on the verge of it. Even the way he carried himself was not quite as strong and proud as he usually looked. There was a rasping too as though he needed to cool himself down from the excitement of the escape and perhaps the satisfaction of Ratchet actually seeing him.

But his direction did not linger on Ratchet long as he noticed the supply of energon stacked neatly in a corner of the base that had yet to be put away because of the excitement of the vacation. Ratchet followed his gaze and then returned to Soundwave in a flash.

"Soundwave," he said. "Please. Wait a moment. I—"

But Soundwave would not wait a moment. He fired.

Ratchet ducked just in time, but Soundwave's aim was a little off. He truly was not well, but he shot again, and this time did hit Ratchet enough to keep him down a moment. Then Soundwave made a lustful dash for the energon. Although again Ratchet tried to speak to him, Soundwave only fired again several shots another of which hit Ratchet.

Soundwave then broke out with as much of his prize as he could carry in flight mode as he transformed and broke a hole out the side of the base. He flew off as dramatically as he had arrived.

On the floor, Ratchet lifted his head, but there was nothing more that could be done. If Soundwave got in touch with their other enemies, they would also have to move again too besides everything else that was going wrong. He lowered his head again and moaned.

It felt like ages before Bumblebee appeared with Bulkhead.

"Ratchet!" they cried, but Ratchet had straightened himself and tried not to look too hurt or too upset for them when he had heard their engines approaching.

Ratchet did not waste time explaining everything to them, and thankfully Ratchet was not much hurt.

"We can't contact Cybertron," said Ratchet at last.

Bumblebee looked around at the mess of broken screens and broken bridge frame along with its controls.

"Well, we have the backup hideout for a reason," said Bulkhead rather gloomily, and then banged the wall angrily. "Why do they have to keep dragging this out? They don't even have Megatron anymore, do they?"

"They might," said Ratchet. "No one's heard from him since he disappeared, and Jetfire did have a point. I can't see either Starscream or Shockwave hiring Lockdown."

"But even Optimus believed that Megatron had given up the Decepticons," said Bulkhead. "Even if he isn't exactly good or anything, I don't see why he'd play a game like this on us."

"Maybe he _can't_ give it up!" growled Ratchet.

"Ratchet. You and Bulkhead take what's left of the bridge to the backup hideout and destroy what's left here," said Bumblebee suddenly. "If Megatron is the one who hired Lockdown, we'll find out about that. He's too proud to keep his presence from being known for too long, I know that much, but we can't worry about it now. Besides, you have to wait for Knock Out. He left to take his own rout back to the base when we had to take everyone else back. He should be here any minute, and he'll help you. I'll keep away from the new hideout until the bridge is fixed, and I'll keep moving and won't give Lockdown a target easy to follow."

Bulkhead and Ratchet looked at him in surprise. They tried to protest, but Bumblebee remained firm.

"Lockdown is after me alone," said Bumblebee. "There's no reason to risk the backup base being found until we can escape from it. And no communications unless it is absolutely necessary until the bridge is up and running."

"At least let me go with you!" Bulkhead insisted. "You shouldn't go alone. You said so yourself Ratchet will have Knock Out. I won't be much use with them. I know where I'm needed more!"

Pausing, Bumblebee released a smile— a small one, but it eased the others a little for it had been a very Bumblebee-ish smile. He had almost been starting to sound like a Prime. Not that there was truly anything wrong with that, but Bumblebee was still Bumblebee. He had not transformed into a Prime physically; though perhaps it would not be long anyway that he would transform into one mentally.

"Okay," said Bumblebee, his smile broadening. "Thanks, Bulkhead."

"Of course!" said Bulkhead.

"Are you sure, you're okay?" asked Bumblebee to Ratchet in reference to Soundwave's laser blasts.

"It's nothing I can't handle with simply carrying all this from here to there," Ratchet shrugged.

"Okay then," said Bumblebee. "If you're sure."

Ratchet nodded solemnly.

Bumblebee turned to Bulkhead. "Let's roll out then."

"Aye, aye, Mr. President!"

Ratchet could barely find the words to say goodbye, and although Bulkhead and Bumblebee wished him well after they drove through the door, he could only sigh and look down at the souvenirs still left from the event with Soundwave that should not have happened. After Bumblebee and Bulkhead were gone, Ratchet began picking up. He would carry it all easily enough in the back of his ambulance; though he could not fathom what could be keeping Knock Out so long.

#

"Ah, and there's the base!" said Knock Out to himself feeling quite pleased in his brand new automobile-of-the-year vehicle-mode.

The setting sun gleamed brilliantly on lustrous ruby, and revving his engine just for the sake of it, he picked up speed to make an agile swoop for the entrance.

 _And I'm just on schedule too_! thought Knock Out.

Through the doorway before he saw or did anything else, he leapt gracefully out of vehicle-mode and landed heavily and purposefully to make a solid entrance.

"I'm back!" he said throwing his hands out at his sides theatrically before he made his way casually further inside. "Six o'clock on the dot."

This was when he noticed Ratchet checking over something at a busted screen at one of the computers.

He made a face.

"Computer trouble?" he asked. "Where's Bulkhead and Mr. Pre—"

"They left!" flustered Ratchet with a huff. "I'll explain later. Why didn't you come back directly after Bumblebee and—?"

"What happened to the bridge?" asked Knock Out in surprise. "I knew something was wrong but I didn't know it was _this_ bad."

That seemed to answer Ratchet's question satisfactorily anyway, and with a sigh, he straightened himself and said, "That's not the half of it. I'm sure you've heard of Lockdown?"

"Lockdown the bounty hunter?" said Knock Out. "Why? What's he want?"

"Apparently he's after Bumblebee."

Knock Out squinted. "And destroyed the bridge?"

"No! That was Soundwave."

"Soundwave? But he was—"

"Trapped in between dimensions, yes, but if we could figure a way out of it—"

"So could he," said Knock Out ironically. He paused. "But he couldn't've hired Lockdown from in between dimensions." He smiled with amusement. "Even if it were physically possible what would he have to offer him? Lockdown doesn't work cheap."

"There's nothing funny about this," said Ratchet darkly.

"I didn't say there was," said Knock Out with a careless shrug.

Ratchet shook his head. "Whether or not Soundwave knows anything more than what we said in our conversation or not, he'll soon _make_ himself part of it."

Knock Out frowned. "Right. So we have to leave the hideout. You have a backup, I'm assuming, after what happened last time. Is that where Bulkhead and Bumblebee are?"

"We have a backup one, yes," said Ratchet vaguely, and then stated with more precision, "I'll give you the coordinates, and then I'm going to take the pieces of the bridge there and _you're_ going to get the humans."

"What? Why?" Knock Out demanded. "Shouldn't they stay out of this?"

Ratchet looked at him very steadily. "If Lockdown can't find him, he may very well try to lure us out, and he won't need Soundwave to locate where the humans are. His technology is vast and he knows how to utilize it."

"We may have to take their whole families with, if that's what you're afraid of," Knock Out muttered crossing his arms.

"Hopefully it won't come to that, but it has crossed my mind," said Ratchet looking away. "But we'll just start with our three first. You can handle that, can't you? You'd be awfully conspicuous trying to carry all this equipment in _your_ small vehicle."

"No worries, doctor!" Knock Out said with a renewed lazy smile. "You can count on me to get the humans, alright?"

" _Hmm_. I hope so."

Knock Out saluted. "I'll prove to you my worthiness before the break of dawn."

"Well, no," said Ratchet. "It's in Idaho on a very far out back road. You won't reach it that early unless you're speeding."

"Oh. Well! ASAP then," said Knock Out grinning.

Ratchet nodded, and quickly gave him the exact coordinates.


	8. Knock Out's Pickup Service

JMJ

EIGHT: KNOCK OUT'S PICKUP SERVICE

The only one whose family did not know about the alien visitors now was Miko's. Being from Japan, it made it easier for her. Besides, she liked keeping her secrets. Now that her host mother was Mrs. Darby, she did not even have to worry about host parents wondering what she was up to. But Raf, who although admitted that his family could be boisterous in it large size and many siblings, had eventually decided that he could not stand lying to them, especially his parents. Besides, when he could not keep up the lie that he was just part of an intense study group, Fowler came up with another cover story about Raf being so smart that he was helping with official cases now.

He was told he should not tell about the Cybertronians, but he had done it.

He had revealed to them Ratchet, and about everything that had happened for real to Jasper, Nevada—not just the cover story. After the shock of it, however, working with aliens seemed to be more a relief to the Esquivels than getting entangled in a web of the FBI or maybe even the Black Ops before Raf finished high school, which was what had prompted Raf to finally let loose his secret after all. They had confronted him about telling them which agency they were exactly letting their son work for that was not a simple police detective agency.

Even still, Knock Out doubted they were going to be overly thrilled about this particular situation.

Regardless of that knowledge, Knock Out wasted no time. He was not the type to waver in between something. Either do or not do, was his way, just like that strangely amusing green character the humans made up that could fight with a glowing laser sword as an old guy, so he slipped cozily along the curb in front of Raf's house, the first stop on his list casually but promptly.

He honked a couple times until someone looked out the window. It was a little girl, and she disappeared behind the curtain. After some hustle and a little dog's yapping, Raf appeared at the window, and he naturally recognized Knock Out. Two other human sibling heads appeared just before his head actually pushed through.

Confusion riddled Raf's face. After all it was not Ratchet or Bumblebee parked at the curb.

The dog continued barking and trying to escape out the door with Raf by the time Raf popped the door open. He managed to push the eager black nose back inside, and Knock Out had to wonder, what did humans see in dogs again? But he did not have long to consider the conundrum. Raf turning ahead of him narrowed his vision upon the red gleaming vehicle and said, "Knock Out?"

"Rafael Esquivel?" said Knock Out.

A few steps out along the walk, and the door opened again. Raf spun around with a slight exclamation, but he saw that the little girl holding the dog back by the shoulders. It was a spaniel mix of some kind.

"No, no, Cocoa," she said.

"Tori!" Raf hissed.

"Can I come too?" asked the little girl.

"No, Mom said you can't, besides this is important."

"But I wanna come too," said the girl.

"You might as well bring her," joked Knock Out. "We were just talking about the rest of your families anyway."

Raf stiffened. "What?!"

Tori was just about to go outside when Mrs. Esquivel appeared behind her and grabbed her from behind much like how Tori had grabbed the dog.

"Victoria, no," she said, and she looked up at Raf with a puckered brow. With good reason she looked with suspicion at Knock Out; though he doubted she had heard him.

"I…I'll probably be gone a while," admitted Raf.

The pucker in Mrs. Esquivel's brow deepened briefly, but more with worry before she nodded. She probably would have left it at that with a goodbye, but Raf knew he could not leave with just that. He turned around and hurried back to the door to give his mother a hug. Knock Out could have honed in to listen to what they said. Spanish would not have hindered him either, but he decided to let them have their parting in private. When they broke away, Tori evidently wanted a hug too, and Knock Out waited patiently. Mr. Esquivel also appeared then, and that complicated things a little longer with a bit of discussion, but Knock Out did not think they were exactly in a hurry.

When Raf reached the curb, Knock Out threw open the passenger door, and Raf hurried inside. His mother had given him food and clothes. Raf knew whatever was happening it was serious already, but then Bumblebee no doubt had told him the urgency of Ratchet's call earlier.

"Okay, Knock Out," said Raf in full seriousness as they started out down the street. "What's the situation?"

#

After having explained the situation to Raf, they stopped by to pick up Jack and Miko at Mrs. Darby's house, and whatever else may have been going on in the house, Miko was already out the door before Raf had barely gotten out of Knock Out to make his was up the walk to knock on the door.

"Where's Bulkhead?" Miko wanted to know.

"He's with Bumblebee," Raf said.

"But I don't want to go for a ride in Knock Out."

"Ooh, ouch!" said Knock Out. "That sure hurts. And here I am trying to rescue you and all."

"Why? What's going on?"

Raf explained it as quickly as he could. Then asked, "What's Jack and Mrs. Darby doing?"

"Some final semester paper and putting away dishes," said Miko with a shrug. "But I don't think Jack'll want to get inside Knock Out either after he kidnapped his mother and all. Cuz that's prob'ly the last time he took anyone for a ride."

"Probably," said Knock Out with a shrug in his voice, "but I did think bygones were bygones, besides you _do_ get to sit on the seats."

"You're gunna have to do more than say you're sorry to convince me that you're not just with the Autobots to freeload on our victory."

"Miko," said Raf in a low voice. "Come on."

"Well, he's not the one protecting Bumblebee with Bulkhead, and how do we even know if this Lockdown guy's gunna know about us?"

"You want to take that risk?" Raf demanded.

"For their sake, no," said Miko.

"Okay," said Raf. "I'll go get him."

"I'm not staying with Knock Out!" Miko protested.

"Glad to know you can't resist me so much," muttered Knock Out with a definite sneer in his voice this time.

"Okay, then, you come too, but just keep it together, Miko," said Raf.

Miko pouted. "I _am_ keeping it together."

But they were saved any trouble of going back to the house to get anyone, for Mrs. Darby was already outside with arms crossed and a tightly knitted brow above her frowning face.

Knock Out would have grinned in return had he not been in vehicle mode, but he said nothing but a, "Good evening, Mrs. Darby," before Mrs. Darby took Miko and Raf back into the house to have them talk it over with Jack.

Knock Out would just let the humans work it out.

Vision to the sky, the clouds reflected the light of the downtown area. Stars winked through, and he knew that it was more a thicker atmosphere than urban lights that made the starlight fainter than on Cybertron, but then the sun sure brightened the day more fully to make up for it. Really he was considering going for a quick drive and back and then see if they were finished. Despite his joke to Raf earlier, he hoped Mrs. Darby would not be joining them or any parent, really. It was far different than brining a little girl like Victoria.

He was just about to start up and rev to prove his impatience at last when the humans came out the door again. Mrs. Darby did not accompany them, but they did have some sleeping items that humans liked like pillows and blankets.

"I'm guessing that didn't go well?"

"She wishes you well," Miko sniffed. "Don't know why she believes you."

"The Autobots do," said Raf, "and that should be good enough for us."

"Even Ratchet?" asked Miko.

"Yes, even Ratchet."

"I knew he thought so," said Knock Out, "but I'm assuming I wasn't the only subject of that conversation. Jack?"

"She's just worried, and she should be," said Jack. "They had to explain everything pretty clearly for her. She's actually coming out in a minute now to see us off."

Thus they loitered a little until Mrs. Darby appeared.

"Knock Out? What about the families? How thorough will Lockdown be?" she asked.

"Not wasting time with pleasantries, I see," said Knock Out; though it did take him by surprise that she was asking him directly. Despite the situation, he felt rather pleased to be trusted with the final word.

"He's known to be as thorough as they get, Mrs. Darby," said Knock Out. "With technology more 'advanced' in a way than what's usual for Cybertronian, because he mixes it with that of other advanced races he comes into contact with."

"He's a scientist too?" asked Miko.

"Hardly," scoffed Knock Out. "He's a hunter and he hunts his gadgets down in much the same way he hunts his prey." He turned to Mrs. Darby. "So, yes, I do believe that you should make some kind of contact with at least that government agent of yours. Glad to know you aren't steady though. I don't think you two make a good match, honestly."

Mrs. Darby crossed her arms again, but her expression was rather wise to him in a way that most people never looked at him, which made Knock Out laugh slightly.

"We'll keep them safe at the base and hopefully the bounty hunter will be handled before anything gets out of control," said Knock Out importantly.

"You just make sure you take care of them," said Mrs. Darby. "You probably have the biggest responsibility of all, and although I can't lie and say that I'm not still wary, if Ratchet trusts you I do too."

"It's a responsibility I don't take lightly," Knock Out promised.

"Okay, okay, so let's get this show on the road before Mrs. Darby starts going steady with Knock Out." This was Miko, naturally; though she surprisingly kept this to herself enough so that only Raf was close enough to hear, and Raf only sighed.

After final goodbyes, they set off for good.

"So," said Jack. "How long will it take to get to the next hideout?"

"Probably about twenty-four hours if we don't stop overnight," said Raf. "And we don't get stuck in any traffic."

"Well, we are stopping sometime, aren't we?" asked Knock Out casually. "You don't have to do any human-like things before we get there besides sleep? Where are you going to stop and eat or extricate or shower or whatever else you have to do in such a short amount of time?"

"You know we're, like, smaller than you, right?" Miko said raising a brow towards the steering wheel.

"Well, we'll stop at a rest stop, sure," said Jack quickly, "and we won't have to shower before we get there, and we brought enough food to last us a trip there and back if we had to, so we don't have to stop to eat any—"

"Oho, yes, you do," Knock Out interrupted with a dry chuckle. "There's no _way_ you're getting crumbs on _my_ seats. This is a brand new automobile. I just got it two days ago."

"Uh, _priorities_?" said Miko.

"Just forget it, Miko. We'll eat at the rest stops, okay?" said Jack.

"Sounds like a plan," said Knock Out, "and no snacking cuz I'll know."

"Oh, I just can't wait 'til we get there," sighed Raf.

"Yeah, this is gunna be the funnest field trip ever," said Miko slumping with a pout, chin in her palm and elbows on her knees.

"I'm more afraid of something _happening_ before we get there," said Raf. He lowered his head sadly and returned to the front window. He was in the front seat so that everyone had their own window and the other two were in the back. "I hope Bumblebee's okay…"

"Hey, come on, Raf, it's just one guy," said Miko helpfully as she reached over to pat him on the shoulder. "We can handle it! There's seven of us, if you count Ratchet! And Ratchet'll have the bridge fixed by the time we get there. We'll have everyone here for some real good butt whupping action just like the old days."

"There's Soundwave out there too, speaking of the old days," said Jack, "and by the way Lockdown sounds, we'll have more than enough on our plate with him and Soundwave if they come into cahoots."

"And at least one other person hired him," Raf said, "and I bet it was Megatron. It's possible Starscream and Shockwave are with him."

"Oh," Miko groaned, but she did not stay down long before she said, "but there's still just five against all of us plus maybe Flare-Up and the two new guys! And there aren't any more grunticons to get in our way, right?"

"Don't you mean 'three' new guys?" chirped Knock Out pleasantly.

"You're not new," said Miko.

"Just as new as Jetfire, and he was a Decepticon too, you know," said Knock Out.

"Yeah, but Bulkhead said he—!"

"We're all just upset," Jack said. "It's a bad situation already, and not being with who we're usually with in bad situations I think it's making us all more uptight."

" _Hmph_ , sound suggestion," Knock Out teased.

"So I say, if it's a field trip, let's make the most of it by at least not biting each other," said Jack, and he eyed Miko especially.

Miko rolled her eyes. "Right." But she did not look as upset anymore except maybe sad as she looked out the window and wished she rode up higher in Bulkhead.

"You're more of a Prime than Bumblebee, aren't you?" Knock Out remarked with more amusement, but no one else was amused, because the mention of the Primes just made the absence of Optimus Prime more noticeable.

After a moment, Knock Out felt it too and turned on the radio to keep himself and the others occupied for a while.

#

" _Have you eliminated the target_?" asked Megatron over the ship's communications.

"The target," returned Lockdown with a touch of irony in his otherwise careless tone, "was not on Cybertron."

" _Then he must be on Earth_ ," said Megatron. " _There's nowhere else he could be_."

"I've already thought of that and have used my bridge to reach your coordinates. I am in between you and Earth at this very moment in time. I hope this doesn't disappoint you."

Megatron paused for some time to mull this over.

" _No"_ he then said. _"This will essentially make him easier to capture. Earth belongs to me, after all, and I will have Earth on the lookout for Cybertronians easier than you might think._ "

"Their network is easy to hack," retorted Lockdown.

" _You won't even need to do that_ ," said Megatron. _It's at your disposal._ "

There was too much native interference to find the Cybertronians in vehicle mode even with the most high tech tracking system aboard the _Knight_. Even if they were in robot mode the interference of Earth's other obstacles might get in the way. Right now, although, the tech proved that Cybertronian life did exist on Earth, Lockdown could not pinpoint it except by hemisphere, but he was not concerned. It just made the hunt more interesting. He was used to hunts in the jungles of some primitive wasteland with barbarians that roasted dirt over fire pits to pull out the worms, but although the inhabitants of Earth were not much more intelligent than these, their technology seemed to be flourishing in a direction far more akin to Cybertronian than most. But as interesting as it was, after scouring the planet with his gadgets alone and not finding Bumblebee, he went through the files that Megatron had sent him again.

What weakness or quirk about Bumblebee would help him find him better?

"Pets," said Lockdown with just a very minimal dry hint of a smile.

" _Humans are easy to track_ ," agreed Megatron. " _My empire will be your backup_."

" _Hmph_ ," said Lockdown and terminated their conversation after a simple, "It won't take long either way, but do as you will."

Now Lockdown had pets in plenty that he had picked up. His favorites were the Dinobot raptors he had found in some dark corner of the universe, but even these would hold no leverage over him. If they died, mild disappointment would only last a day or so. His pets came and went. He had some rather other pets at the moment that perhaps weren't as smart as his raptors. They were closer to his kind, though he would care even less if they died than his raptors. Either way he felt it a duty best left to them to go and capture someone else's pets for him. And he knew that most other Cybertronians got very attached to pets if they ever got one, for it was rather rare for his race.

This Rafael Esquivel would be easy to find once he located him using Earth's own technology, and as soon as he found his home location, he used Earth's satellites easily enough to see if any of them caught him going in or out of the house. He would not have needed Megatron's help to use it.

The automobile that had picked the boy up should be easy to follow whether it was truly an Autobot or merely a vehicle of earth.

"Come," he said to his pets.

They were lingering in the shadows watching him anyway.

It may have been rather unorthodox to have pets of one's own kind, but it was true that Lockdown considered himself above the rest of his silly sentimental race. Dead End and Swindle could hardly be considered on par with most Cybertronians as it was as far as he was concerned.

"Boss!" Swindle said eagerly bounding up.

Dead End, smaller and perhaps slightly more cautious because of it, only watched wide-eyed and stupidly from behind his companion.

"Find this boy and this vehicle," said Lockdown, "and bring him and whatever human is with him to me."

"I thought we were after the Autobot," whispered Swindle suspiciously to Dead End, and Dead End tutted him with his hand.

"I'm sure this is bait," said Dead End quietly.

Swindle snickered, "We'll see if we can't get our clever little fox out of his hole, right Boss?"

Lockdown did not answer. He was beyond such things. He just glanced in that way that was meant to remind them of what happened to Sideways, the third member of their little gang before Lockdown left him to float it the middle of space for lack of usefulness.

Thus the pair slipped away as quietly as they could to their pod, which was just as cloaked as the ship so that they could reach very close to where Raf was when they found him. The computer in the pod was still using Earth satellites to figure out where the red sports car had driven off to.


	9. Field Trip Delays

JMJ

NINE: FIELD TRIP DELAYS

It did not take long to notice them. By the time Raf said something out loud, Knock Out had just been about to himself.

"Those cars are following us."

"Which cars?" gasped Miko spinning round in her seat, but she quickly stopped herself from looking too conspicuous and acted as though she was telling something excitedly to Jack, forcing a smile on her face for a second before resituating herself in her seat.

For a second or two Jack did not understand what she was doing and was going to remind her not to draw attention to herself, but after a quick thought and a pause he knew that she did not need reminding.

"For how long?" asked Jack then of Raf.

"I think I saw those guys in the parking lot," said Miko.

"That means they've been following us since the grocery store," said Jack worriedly.

Early that morning, they had stopped not to buy food for the trip but to possibly stock up for when they reached the base. No one was certain how long they would be there, and they had eaten a little on a table outside for the sake of Knock Out's seats.

"Knock Out, do you know them? I don't recognize them," said Raf.

As nonchalantly as he could now, Knock Out used the rearview mirror to glance at the two vehicles: one a very small green and purple Volkswagen beetle and the other a rather large stylized convertible. It was gleaming red too, and Knock Out snorted. He had no doubt that they were Cybertronians in vehicle mode. It was not just their stiff-board drivers that looked too much alike and were probably holograms. They were following at a more wheel-conscious level than an automobile could rightly do with a separate driver pushing the pedals inside (especially looking as bored as those likely holograms did), and just the pair of the vehicles slinking along together seemed unlikely for human activity.

"Hmm, there's only room for one red hood around here," Knock Out muttered.

"So they _are_ Decepticons," said Jack.

"Well, it's difficult to say if they're _Decepticons_ or not," retorted Knock Out. "I don't know who's all involved in this. I was the only ground vehicle Decepticon of the proper automobile-size I knew that survived to the end aside from Vehicons. I don't remember anyone that shared my interest in red either (except in eye color and trim) on the Decepticon side at all."

"The Autobots found survivors," said Raf. "Maybe the Decepticons did too, and you can't've seen all the Decepticons, can you?"

"Well, whoever they are, they're not the brightest bulbs, I can tell that right away," Knock Out said.

"Hah, yeah, the way they're so close behind us," said Miko. "That's not suspicious."

"Unless they're trying to make us nervous, and want us to notice them," said Jack.

"You mean a diversion?" said Miko.

"We'll just keep an eye on them," said Raf.

"And pretend we're not," remarked Knock Out; he drove casually to where there was more traffic just to see if they would still follow, "and I can tell already that I'm a way better driver than they are."

He was not really concerned. It was no lie that Knock Out thought them fools. The way they suddenly split up when they reached more traffic made Knock Out chuckle to himself. What were they going to do, try to trap him? Right. Knock Out was much too clever for that, and the one that had disappeared, the smaller one, never reappeared, and the red one got further and further behind them until he had disappeared too.

"Well, that was easy," said Knock Out.

"We'll probably see them again," said Raf.

"Oh, I _know_ we will," said Knock Out.

#

They were out on the highway again, and Knock Out had to look for the right exit that would start them along the trail of byways to the new base. He thought of contacting Ratchet, but he soon thought better of it. No one was sure how good Lockdown's toys were, and if those two following had anything to do with everything else, it would defy trying to lose them if he made themselves known to Lockdown. Besides, he still felt quite capable of taking care of this himself. Admittedly, he wanted to prove that he could.

"But who are those guys with exactly?" said Miko. "If Megatron hired a bounty hunter, what does he need a couple punks for?"

"To make sure," said Jack with a shrug.

"What about Shockwave and Screamyboy?" said Miko.

"Don't wish them here, Miko. They might show up soon enough," said Jack. "Maybe those two we just saw were scouting and found us by chance."

"This must be the exit," muttered Knock Out suddenly, and he sounded like he bore a good enough sneer. "It looks desolate already."

Just up from the exit, the traffic immediately ended. The road ahead looked like a different world from the towns and highways they had been traveling through before.

"Perfect place for a murder scene," said Knock Out.

The road wound around a corner, and he glided pleasantly along it.

"All I know is we gotta keep a close eye out," said Raf. "We can't just assume that they're—"

"Yah!" exclaimed Knock Out as suddenly the smaller of the two spies leapt out in front of them from the side of the road.

The brush had been thick and the ground steep and rocky, all good enough to hide him. He had chosen not to drive but to skulk quickly in robot-mode cutting across the road they had been following for only moments. Rough terrain was what he was used to, after all, tagging along after Lockdown, and he jumped in front of Knock Out so that Knock Out had to swerve painfully to get out of his way—at least it was painful for the passengers who were flung violently to one side and yanked at the seatbelts. Knock Out was not hurt, except maybe in pride.

"Hand over the natives, Autobot, and we won't have to hurt you to get to them," the newcomer said and laughed. "Or them."

It was a beaming feeling being called an Autobot by an adversary for the first time, and Knock Out said rather heroically and with a bit of a scoff, "You won't harm a follicle on their hairy little heads, tiny. You won't be able to keep up with _me_."

Immediately the Cybertronian began to fire with a small but quick laser as Knock Out drove directly towards him.

"What're ya gunna do, ram him!?" cried Jack.

"Charge ahead!" growled Miko grabbing onto the front seat with one hand and clenching a fist forward with the other.

Knock Out assumed that the other's partner was behind him, so he knew he could not go back, and besides, he wanted to show off. He took a leap forward and transformed with the humans quickly grabbed up in his hands as he kicked his opponent. Though again, the opponent was just a little faster than he had anticipated. He was not able to kick him square in the face. His foot colliding with his adversary's shoulder at least was enough to make his aim with his machete-like blade on the other hand miss. Not only that but the opponent stumbled a little and fired angrily at the ground before he caught his balance.

Landing neatly on the other side, Knock Out sneered.

"Knock Out!" cried a little struggling voice in his hands; it was Raf and Miko almost in unison.

He looked.

"Too tight, Knock Out!" gasped Jack.

" _Ribcage_!" screamed Miko.

"Oh!" Knock Out loosened his grip, and the distraction had been plenty time for the adversary to sling his machete at Knock Out to slice through his wrists.

That had been the aim, and it would have dropped the children, with the adversary able to catch them in his gun hand pretty swiftly and neatly, but Knock Out just barely managed to wrench them away. The blade scuffed the window on one of his arm guards with an awful screech, but not as awful to the audio receptors of Knock Out at the sound of it scraping across his hood. It almost froze him for that second he realized what was happened. If it had not been for the fact that he was already slightly tumbling backwards, in his frozen state with optics nearly crossed in his excitement, the opponent might have gotten far deeper into his chest than the finish, but Knock Out felt little appreciation for that at the moment.

After those few seconds which felt in slow motion both for the humans being almost grabbed and the misfortune caused to Knock Out's vanity, Knock Out managed to catch himself from stumbling entirely onto his back and to keep himself from squeezing the life out of the poor passengers.

Then he gnashed his teeth and to the adversary he snarled, " _Big_ mistake!"

The adversary only laughed, and tried to slash him again. His buddy was just arriving, and although Knock Out would have tried to fight back, Jack suddenly reminded him that he could not fight and carry them at the same time as he shouted, "Let's go!"

The adversary's ruby buddy could shoot too, apparently, with a swift and deadly sniper, and as Knock Out turned raging up the road, he quickly transformed back into his now scratched up vehicle. He tore the old, grayed-out pavement with a screech as he drove forward. The passengers, all three now in the back seat, had barely time to reorient themselves as he went at full speed.

At least he had the satisfaction of knowing the little bug got his machete stuck in the road after he had blazed ahead. He had been so angry when he left, that he had not noticed that he had tried to slice him again until now.

"Dead End, you idiot!" the voice of the other adversary echoed wildly towards them as he kicked his smaller partner so that the machete was freed. "He's getting away, and he didn't even have to shoot you!"

"Quit talkin' and let's get them," snapped Dead End in return.

"'Dead End'!" scoffed Knock Out. "Befitting. He'll reach a dead end if _I_ ever get a hold of him."

They turned another bend and sped up even faster. Knock Out knew they would not be far behind, and that this was far from over. It made him wish he had a gun to fire behind with or better yet his electro-staff, which had been broken for some time now. Or even better yet…

"My buffer! I left if back at the old base! Now I won't be able to fix this!" He growled as he briefly narrowed his vision on the horrible gash across the hood.

"Don't think of it as a scratched finish, think of it as a battle scar!" Miko told him punching the air. "You're with us now, you gotta take it! No pretty boys allowed!"

" _Hmph_! 'Pretty boy', is it? I said I was joining the Autobots not the Wreckers. Besides this automobile is brand new! I don't think any of its Earthly owners would take it any lighter than me."

Then he forgot her and started keeping an eye on his tail pipe. He could hear Dead End and his buddy just behind, but just before he started to see them behind him on the winding road, he turned another bend. If only there was some other road to take to lead them off course.

Ah, but there was, hopefully.

A whole row of them leading into the covered brush! Hopefully they were not just driveways leading into closed-in farmyards. He took the last one and burst his speed an extra boost to hide away up the road before the pursuers could turn and see him. It led up to a ridge overlooking the main road, and although he would be exposed on road, he wasted no time in transforming so that he could hide behind the rocky ridge on the opposite side of the road. The others he rolled from his hands onto the ground next to him.

He was apparently yet a little too rough, and he made a note to be more careful in the future, for they tumbled down and moaned a little after picking themselves up off the ground. Daring to peek he watched the pair shout to each other as they continued chasing an adversary that no longer was ahead of them, and he smiled lazily. Also he learned by their shouting that the red one was called Swindle.

Miko and the boys climbed up some of the rubble to look too, and Miko grinned.

"I guess they're dumb, after all," she said with a shrug.

Knock Out turned around and leaned back against the ridge. "There, that wasn't so hard."

"But we should probably wait a while before we start out again," said Raf.

"Naturally," agreed Knock Out. "Break some fast or lunch or whatever."

Ref checked his watch.

"Five thirty-four," said Knock Out and he tapped his chin with a sharp-ended finger. "Now would that make it late lunch, supper or dinner or something else I forgot? It's funny how you have names for all your meals. Of course you have so many of them a day."

Jack smiled with amusement, but he was the only one.

"I bet Ratchet's wondering where we are now," said Raf with a sigh.

"Yeah, he probably thinks I messed up," said Knock Out with a grin. "What a pleasant surprise it will be for him when we show up, right?"

But he frowned again when he noticed his chest again and crossed his arms over the top of it to try to forget again, but there was still the crack on the window too.

"It's okay, Knock Out, he'll be sure to know what a good job you've done," said Jack. "You _have_ proven yourself."

"I better have," Knock Out remarked lightly.

"Guys, _shhh_! I think they're coming back!" Miko whispered suddenly from her perch on the rocks, and turning to Knock Out she said, "Get your head down."

"Get yours down too," said Knock Out wryly and gently pulling her to a less conspicuous ledge much to her displeasure, but he still kept low and peeked with care out at the low road

The boys did too.

"They're gunna start checking the side roads," said Jack leaping down from his own perch. "We gotta get going."

He made his way along their rocky nest, and Knock Out glanced idly over the top of him.

"It's just going to get us trapped in a quarry if we go that way," said Knock Out. "It's as barren as a lake bottom. No cover." He paused. "Unless…"

"Yeah?" asked Raf.

Knock Out smiled thoughtfully.

"I might be wrong," he said then stepping to the ledge where Jack had stopped on the other side of a path overrun with tangled shrubbery, "but this quarry's location is familiar. If I'm not mistaken this is the site an abandoned energon mine."

"Really?" asked Miko raising a brow.

"Well, those two guys won't know it's here," said Jack. "It'd be a good place to hide until they move on."

"They won't have Lockdown's equipment, right?' asked Raf of Knock Out.

"We'll be under the ground," retorted Knock Out. "I don't care what Lock Down has, they won't be able to track my signal. Our signals are partly and perpetually cloaked for protection anyway. That's why we usually need a lock on someone's communications to find them."

"Well, I know, but everyone keeps saying how good Lockdown is at what he does, and—"

"If they show up we'll set a trap for them," said Miko. "It's better than sitting here waiting for them to find us, and there isn't any other place to go besides the quarry or back the way we came."

Knock Out shrugged. "If they're as dumb as they look and they don't know about the mine, they won't even look even if they have the equipment."

So down they slipped, or rather, Knock Out slipped, and he carried the others. Once in the quarry he was pleased with himself that he found the abandoned mine. It was almost covered up, but not as thoroughly as some. To get into it without causing too much damage to what remained or making too obvious of a hole, Knock had to go into vehicle mode and slip through a rather tight squeeze, but he made it inside without too much trouble. Then inside they waited with Knock Out's red glowing optics the only source of light in the darkness of the cavern for a time until they got out of the sight of the entrance and Raf turned on a flashlight from his pack. Then Knock Out turned on his headlights.

"How long should we wait?" asked Raf.

"A couple of hours, maybe," said Jack. "We might as well eat and rest."

"And think of a plan," said Miko looking around her thoughtfully. "If we're careful, maybe we can fire at the ceiling and cause enough rubble to fall on their heads from far enough away that it won't hit us."

"Fire with what?" asked Jack.

"Duh, with Knock Out's…oh, right. He doesn't have a gun."

"Of course not; I'm technically not built for frontal attack," retorted Knock Out. "Someone has to be the scientist." He smiled wryly. "Or the medic. A lot of medics on both sides had weapons installed, but if everyone did that where would anyone get medical attention after a while? Ratchet didn't install _him_ self weapons, now did he?"

"Besides," said Raf. "Even if we did, we might get trapped in here. We don't know for sure how something like that would affect the rest of the mine."

"Okay, okay, you don't all have to gang up on me, come on," said Miko.

She sat down on a rock and slumped over her knees. "Whose idea was it to come down here anyway?"

"You liked it at first," said Jack as he handed her a sandwich and a small bag of pretzels.

Miko sighed and took them. "I sure wish Bulkhead was here. He coulda beat them both to a pulp first thing those bozos showed up."


	10. Monster in Dark Recesses

JMJ

TEN: MONSTER IN DARK RECESSES

"Forget it, we lost them," grumbled Swindle slumping wearily behind his steady-eyed companion. "We gotta get back to the pod, and see if we can't find them on satellite again."

Dead End did not seem to be listening. His optics held fast to a small gadget in his hands as he stood overlooking the quarry, almost deathly silent save for the crickets chirping behind them in the brush. The sky was dotted with clouds and the sun was setting scarlet and orange quickly in between them. Dusk was fast approaching and it would not be long before the half moon would be the only thing lighting the quarry below.

"There's heat coming from directly below us," muttered Dead End thoughtfully as he glanced briefly from his screen to the quarry. He used his optics now to follow the movements up close of a rodent scurrying from one rock to another on the other side of the flat bowl, but that was too far away and too small to have caused the heat. He shook his head.

Following his vision briefly, Swindle crossed his arms. "Dead End, c'mon! It's probably just some dumb animal. This planet is swamped with dumb animals."

"But we should make sure," said Dead End; he possessed a rather hissy sort of voice at times and this was one of them; it meant he was dead serious.

" _Agh_!" groaned Swindle beginning to pace like some animal himself caught in a cage.

"You want to be the one that tells the boss that you talked me out of not following a lead however faint it might be if we don't find them?" asked Dead End innocently.

The pacing stopped, and Swindle glowered at Dead End for a moment. Then quite abruptly he swiped the gadget away from his companion.

"Hey!" cried Dead End.

"I'll go check it out!" Swindle sniffed haughtily.

Dead End snorted. "Well, you better be thorough or I'm telling you, you'll be the next one left for scrap, not me."

Swindle did not answer with more than another haughty huff and he slipped down the slope of the quarry to follow the traces from the heat seeker. After all, there was one that was especially large, larger than Swindle thought would be on a planet like this unless it was not native. Although it was a faint signal beneath the rocks of the quarry, he knew that the best heat seeker in the universe could not fail to lead him to something unusual even if it wasn't an Autobot. Maybe it would be something else his boss would be interested in for later. They had never explored Earth before.

#

While the humans had their dinner, Knock Out left to find out if there was any leftover raw energon. If the field trip lasted much longer, he would like some refueling too. It was not like he had had time to refuel before he left to fetch the humans. Sure, raw energon was not the best on one's system, but in emergencies it was better than nothing. All this running around and stress made it difficult to conserve energon, anyway. The only problem was that it was highly likely that Starscream had checked all the abandoned mines before this when he had been basically self-exiled for months, but no harm in checking.

He was not going to be broken up if he couldn't find any. He was just a bit parched. Leisurely he went about his business, but it seemed that the mine was completely dried up. Not a speck of dust remained as far as he could see, and he could see signs of scratching in places too small and claw-like to have come from a mining machine.

Starscream for certain, scraping about like some primitive rat not so long ago.

Knock Out shrugged and decided to go back to the humans. Idly he made his way, but he would have moved much faster had he known about the conversation going on above his head or the Cybertronian sliding down into the quarry just then.

But just before he reached the humans he heard the boom.

He gasped, and hurrying to the entrance he saw to his relief that the humans were running away, having dropped their flashlight in their surprise. He saw enough of them to see three pairs of legs still able to run. The cause of the boom was brushing himself off a bit as he skulked through the hole he had made to make the smaller overgrown entrance more to his size instead of using vehicle mode to get in.

At first his optics swiveled to follow the source of the scampering feet, but he was soon quite distracted by the arrival of Knock Out. He wasted no time in attacking with his sniper gun. At least he was not stupid enough to fire too carelessly in a cavern, for after he missed and some rubble fell beneath where it had hit instead, he made a lunge for Knock Out that was unexpected enough that Knock Out, despite knowing of his presence, did not prepare enough to block or get out of the way. As he collided into the floor, despite his rage, he felt satisfied that at close range he could do some damage with a drill or buzz saw.

The first sight of it surprised Swindle slightly, and he soon sneered at it. "Oh, so you don't have any guns, huh?"

"Makes it all the better for me down here, doesn't it," remarked Knock Out, but Swindle was not afraid.

He had a pike as his secondary weapon, and he was almost as good with it, Knock Out had to admit, as he had been with his electro staff. For a short while they fought, and both held their own well, but neither really hurt the other much. Knock Out was doing a fairly decent job of keeping the fight away from where he was sure the humans were hiding, but after a time Swindle became impatient, and trusting to his aim to tried to fire at Knock Out's head.

He missed.

The time Swindle had used to aim and fire had left him open for Knock Out to shove him into an unstable-looking wall too, but his satisfaction was gone before Swindle struck the rock, because he knew into which direction the shot had fired, and he heard the cries of the humans and the cave-in in the little nook where they were.

There was a landslide on Knock Out's side too, and he had no time to cry out to the humans before he was yelling about his own welfare and trying to shield himself from the oncoming stones. He crouched down with his arms over his head.

The mine had been a bad idea, and he hated Swindle for his stupidity now.

However had he managed to find them in the first place? Luck?

The cavern had been hidden enough that no one would have seen it from the top of the quarry. But it did not matter now. He had found them, and Knock Out was buried in stone.

After a few moments of silence, Knock Out stirred, and found that he was not as deeply buried as he might have been. In fact it did not take much effort to pull himself out of the rubble. He moaned. He did not even want to think about the damage to his finish, but even if he had, it would not have stayed long. Quickly he remembered the children.

There was no sign of them, and the dust was still clearing as he penetrated the darkness around him with his headlights.

"Humans!" he called scrambling to his feet. He tripped on a large stone, and cried out, but caught himself, pausing and listening to the stillness.

"Jack!" he called, and turned his head about frantically. "Raf!" he called a little weaker. He took a few steps forward and called out doubtfully and in a very small voice that they might not have been able to hear even if they were okay and close by: "…Miko?"

He blinked wide-eyed.

No answer.

No answer from any of the children, and for a few moments he stood in shock and dismay, frozen in a nightmare.

The children were dead?

Knock Out had failed?

When he actually wanted them to live then they were killed and his reputation too with the Autobots was ruined? The grief of the other Autobots when they would learn of what had happened struck him to the spark. Somehow he did not believe any of it. The irony was too much. He _could_ not believe, and yet the full realization of the reality of his nightmare broke through the stillness at the rumbling of stone behind him and the groaning of his adversary as he tried to pull himself from the wreckage.

The lost and painful expression on Knock Out's face twisted into a strange sardonic leer even before he turned. A dark sneer appeared on his face as he saw that Swindle was trapped at the chest and could not pull himself out further without causing serious damage to himself or causing more rubble to fall.

Slowly, leisurely, Knock Out made his way towards his pitiful struggles.

"What's the matter, Swindle? Things didn't go how you planned?"

"What do you want, Autobot!?" hissed Swindle. "Can't you see I'm in agony as it is? What are you gunna do, help me out?"

"Oh, is that what you want? You need maintenance too, I see," said Knock Out holding up his buzz saw, and turning it on, he leaned down disturbingly close to the other. "I'm a medic, you know, and I was just saying that there was only room for one red hood around here. How about we try for an energon-blue?"

The fear narrowed in Swindle's optics as he widened them upon Knock Out's worsening sneer, for Swindle's fear brought Knock Out a very sick satisfaction.

"What are you going to do?" squeaked Swindle shivering so that his metal shook. "You're an Autobot. I mean…" he tittered, and Knock Out was close enough to hear his insides quicken in anxiety in a sort of buzz as Swindle began to pant to cool it. "You consider yourself a good guy, right? An Autobot? Right? A nice guy?"

"Who said anything about me being nice?" asked Knock Out, and he paused as he glanced at his buzz saw musingly. "Hmm. Maybe the drill would be better, what do you think?"

The drill replaced the saw in an instant.

Swindle gasped. "What? No, no you're crazy!?"

"It's only what's coming to you," said Knock Out with a lazy smile. "You destroyed my chance at a good second life, and now I'm destroying what's left of your miserable life. You understand that kind of tit for tat as the kind of scrap heap you are, don't you?"

Squirming and whimpering, Swindle even tried to grab him, but he was much too lodged underneath the rubble to truly be a danger to Knock Out who easily avoided his swiping grasp.

Knock Out chuckled. "Oh, calm down, Swindle. This won't hurt a bit...at least not for very—"

"Knock Out, wait!"

Rage vanished like a flame thrust into a freezer, and just as from a freezer a great chill ran through him. His drill was still on when he looked up and saw Raf with Jack and Miko coming up just behind. He knew they had seen enough, and he knew they would not have liked what they had seen. Actually, after a moment, he realized that he did not like it himself, but he quickly brushed the whole incident out of his mind. After all, the children were alive, and he had to at least give himself the chance to sigh in relief for that.

"How did you survive?" Knock Out asked, and he turned off the drill at last as he swung his body fully around. "Why didn't you answer me? I thought you were, well, offline."

For a moment or two all was silent. Not even Swindle spoke, and Knock Out felt very low. There was more Decepticon in him still than he would have liked to admit. Actually, there was more Decepticon in him than he ever noticed when he was one. Not that he never had denied that he was a Decepticon when he was one, but he had never considered himself part of the Cause and never considered himself so bound to them as he could not escape it had he wanted. But his behavior had truly become part of him and not something he could just throw off like a dark cloak now that he was an Autobot. He knew too from the ashen faces of the children that it had not been so much his action that made them wary of him as he stepped towards them, it was how much he had been enjoying it with that same sarcastic glee he had shown them when they were at his mercy when he had been a Decepticon.

"Sorry, Knock Out," said Raf clearing his throat, "we were recovering behind the wall of rubble."

"There was a hole at the top and we had to climb out," said Miko.

Jack nodded.

"And then…" Raf started to say.

Jack looked about to finish it but changed his mind.

Knock Out let out a huff.

"So much for being a hero," remarked Swindle.

"So much for being a henchman getting yourself stuck in a cave-in in an abandoned mine," remarked Knock Out lightly, and to the children he said, "We should go before this whole place collapses or his buddy shows up."

Swindle's eyes widened again. "Oh, yeah! I coulda— _Oh_!" He growled and immediately set to work calling for Dead End.

This moved along the others quickly now. With everyone climbing into the transformed Knock Out they left the mine and the quarry as quickly as Knock Out could go. He carried them in robot-mode on the edge of the slope on the far side. Then they were out on the road again before long and traveling in utter silence.

"I'm sorry about that, you know," said Knock Out at last and as lightly as ever back as his lovely automobile. "I got carried away. I'm Cybertronian enough to admit that."

"We understand, Knock Out," said Jack, but he spoke pretty gravely. "It's hard to change."

Miko rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with a shake of her head.

"Well, that's good to know we all have an understanding," said Knock Out, and he might have grinned had he been out of vehicle-mode. "Let's put it behind us. How 'bout some music."

He put it on, but the tension did not settle for a time still. Not until the humans began to drift off to sleep. Knock Out hoped he could reach the new base before they woke up. He had gone out of their way to keep Swindle and Dead End as far away from it as possible, but he thought he could reach it now before dawn.

#

It was about dawn, and Knock Out was only a few miles from his destination. The children still slept soundly, and Knock Out knew he could make it there before they awoke. He was already there in his mind, already ready for a good refueling and a good earful from Ratchet reminiscent of his scientist superior in the old days on Cybertron before he would be able to explain why they were delayed. Maybe Ratchet had something that could buff out his nasty gash, and he would certainly be able to fix those unsightly dents caused by raining rubble. Now that they had left the desert lands behind them, it even looked like it might rain, which would just make a dented finish dirty too, especially as some of the roads were not the best kept in these parts. He was confident he would outrun the clouds breaking.

There was a town not far away from where he drove, and he glanced at it sloping down into a valley. This new hideout would not be too much different from being at the old one except geographically, because it would still be a hideout not far from some little town. Not a bad thing, no, just amusing, but amusement did not last long as he heard a blaring siren suddenly from behind.

"Huh?" he said. "I'm not speeding, am I?"

It did not take long before the children woke up in a sudden rush from the sound of the wailing police car. At first impulse, Jack thought it might be another Cybertronian adversary, but his face fell more when he saw that the pair of humans inside it were probably not holograms. It was a real police car, alright, and a real pair of officers.

"Knock Out!" he hissed. "Slow down. Now."

"Are you sure?" asked Knock Out. "We're almost there."

Quickly and keeping as low as he could, Jack pushed past the others and scrambled into the front seat.

"C'mon, you gotta know enough about Earth to know that you can't just keep going when a police car is after you without getting into _more_ trouble."

"Hmm, well, you're the boss," said Knock Out doubtfully, and he slowed and came to a gentle stop at the side of the road.

He did not like the look of that man and that woman coming out of the car stopping just behind them. They looked like delayers if he ever saw them, and even if Swindle remained in the mine, he had no doubt that at least Dead End was still on the trail, and possibly a certain bounty hunter eventually or Megatron and his remaining goons. He had been lately on the lookout for any familiar pairs of wings overhead, honestly. He knew if Dead End and Swindle bunked their mission too long, others would soon take their place. Even now he glanced briefly at the sky, but they were alone for now with the police on the road and on the whole circumference above and around them, but their bubble could be penetrated any minute, and Knock Out was very impatient to get to the base.

As the officers approached and Jack tried not to look too nervous in the front seat, Knock Out nonchalantly rolled down the window.

"Is something wrong?" asked Jack as politely as he could.

"Excuse me, sir," said the first officer. "Are you Jack Darby?"

Knock Out did not even need to look at Jack to feel his tenseness nor to know how the other two in the back stiffened in alarm.

For a few seconds, Jack hesitated, deciding whether he could get away with lying, or even if he should.

"Yes," said Jack at last. "Can I help you?"

"Jack Darby," said the second officer, her hair as tight as her tone. "You are under arrest. You, Miko Nakadai and Rafael Esquivel are to come with us in for questioning on the matter of illegal releasing of delicate national information. Are those two with you Miko and Rafael."

"Yes," said Jack.

"We didn't release anything!" Miko suddenly snapped. "We're not going anywhere until you contact Agent Fowler! We're with him! We want to see the warrant."

"Miko!" whispered Raf.

Neither of the officers, of course, knew Agent Fowler. They were willing to be reasonable about it once they got back to the station, but first there was no question about whether or not they were to go to the station.

"But we've been framed!" cried Miko.

"There's also a matter of this vehicle too," said the first officer.

"What?" asked Raf in alarm.

Now it was Knock Out's turn to tense up. The humans felt it too, for they all stared immediately at his steering wheel as if fearing he would speak for himself about the matter. This only made Knock Out annoyed, because of course, he was not so stupid as to speak to human officials, especially when the lives of his passengers were at risk.

"What about it?" asked Jack trying to keep his cool.

"Where did you get it?" asked the second officer.

"I bought it," said Jack, quick showing the officers his license. "Just last week."

"We have reason to believe that this is a stolen vehicle. Whoever sold it to you, if you're telling the truth, sold it without its proper credentials. Do you have them with you?"

"Uh—" Jack started.

More suddenly than a car door could open by the hand of a human thrusting it, Knock Out shoved the officer over with it, and without once looking back he started forward faster than any car could accelerate.

"Knock Out!" cried Jack.

"What? I knocked him out of the way so he wouldn't get hurt," muttered Knock Out as if that would clear him of his offense. "And there's no way this is a coincidence!"

"But Fowler could have helped us!" gasped Raf.

"No, Knock Out's right!" said Miko. "There was something too funny about that whole thing! Maybe those people were mind controlled by Lockdown!"

"Mind controlled?" scoffed Knock Out. "I doubt he has anything like that! But he did do something. Messed with data on human servers maybe."

"But now we really did do something illegal!" said Jack. "Don't you get that? You assaulted an officer and now we're running away from the police! Even if someone did mess with the computers, now they really have something on us!"

"Oh, right," said Knock Out feeling very stupid, but they could not backtrack now.

The sirens were beginning to blare again behind them.

"Then what are we gunna do!?" Miko exclaimed. "Wait! I know! We can cut across that field over there! You can drive faster than them off road even in a car like this, right!?"

"Well, I could," admitted Knock Out, "but I don't do off road stunts like—"

"We should just stop and let them take us in!" said Jack.

"It's too late for that now," said Raf. "This _isn't_ just some mistake. It'll be harder to convince anyone of our innocence now, and I doubt someone like Lockdown's gunna care about secrecy once he finds us. I doubt any of them are anymore. Megatron already just tried to take over Earth in front of everyone on the planet a few years ago."

"Well," said Knock Out as it began to sprinkle on them overhead, and thoughts of wet weeds and mud filled his head, "Jack still has a valid point. Can't any of you call Fowler right now? Maybe he can send a helicopter or a jet to help us."

"Do it!" cried Miko.

And with a growl, Knock Out did. Diving off the road he plunged into the fields. They were still dry, but they would not remain that way long, especially as the rain began pouring down.

"Okay," said Raf, trying to keep his voice steady over the rumbling of the ground beneath them. "Now when we get to the other side, grab the first car we run into that's an okay size and transform into it."

" _What_!?" snapped Knock Out already highly irritated by a bug that just slapped into his front window. "Ack! I can't believe this! Now that's going too far! I just got this automobile and you expect me to transform into some backwater yokel's ten-year-old piece of scrap!?"

"Yes!" said Jack. "They can't find us!"

"Won't the weeds and mud give me away!" snapped Knock Out.

"We'll use the car wash in town," said Raf. "I brought money. Just go fast."

Knock Out let out another growl as he headed into the direction of the town. Once out of sight of the road behind him, there was a cluster of trees and he transformed back into robot mode to overlook the valley of the town. The overcast sky and the rain should do well to hide him in the trees, and a road leading into town gave him a good row of cars. He moaned. All of them were scrap, but after a brief closing of his eyes, bracing himself for his utter disgust, he scanned one, an old civic hatchback. He allowed himself to transform even with its color in a pale silvery-green into his new awful vehicle mode and leapt out onto the road down towards the town.

"Could this day get any worse!?" he snapped. "No one is to mention this again to me!"

Now he was not just a temporarily damaged beautiful sports car, he was just a downright crummy, old car, and he was dirty, dented, and scratched enough to match it.


	11. Energon Blue

JMJ

ELEVEN: ENERGON-BLUE

"Calm down, Knock Out," said Jack. "You can change back into whatever you want after this is over."

"If this day of torment ever comes to an end!" Knock Out complained. "Not only do I have to _look_ like this, I have to drive through town like this in minty green too like some girl! I wouldn't've guessed a little town like this would have such traffic!"

"But that's good. Then we won't be noticed as much," said Raf.

"Look," said Miko. "There's the carwash."

"Got that money, Raf?" Jack asked. He was still in the front as the supposed driver.

Raf nodded and reached into his pocket. "Yeah. Here."

"A carwash won't exactly fix everything _else_ wrong with me," grumbled Knock Out.

"Oh, come on," said Miko. "Quit being a baby. Ratchet'll fix you as soon as we get there. Think about Bumblebee and Bulkhead. I know _they_ aren't complaining, and they're probably facing Lockdown head on!"

"Besides, the rain's already stopped and no one's at the carwash," said Raf helpfully.

Miko nodded. "Yeah."

"That's probably because it's going to rain again," said Knock Out, and he messed with the radio to see if he could get some weather.

Miko rolled her eyes to Raf and then back at the steering wheel. "So what? If it rains again soon are you going to stay in the carwash because what would become of your beautiful green paint and red stripes again?"

Raf and Jack glanced at her queerly.

"What? So I used to watch _Thomas the Tank Engine_. So what? My dad had me learning English since I was four. It was a lot better than _Word World_."

"Human learning shows?" asked Knock Out cheerily.

Miko shook her head. "Just forget it."

The weather just came on as they drove up to the carwash, and yes, it did seem as though it would rain later. It also seemed to be that it was going to rain on some event in town—some historical society thing with old fashioned tractors and engines and horse pulling.

"Maybe they'll have Thomas the Tank Engine there," teased Knock Out brightly.

Miko rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure we'll get to the base before the rain," said Raf.

#

"Except if we get stuck in old people's traffic!" said Miko pounding the door with her fist.

"Now, now," admonished Knock Out with a slight laugh. "Mind your temper. There's no use taking it out on me."

The carwash had made Knock Out feel a little better, and he was a little more himself even if the upcoming traffic jam did dampen everyone's spirits. The sky was growing dark and the jam thick, and Knock Out declared, "After all the years I spent on Earth never once have I gotten stuck in traffic."

But just as he was backing up to find out if there was a way to avoid it, three or four more vehicles came rushing up behind him boxing him in so suddenly that as he moved back into position his wheels made a slight shriek.

"Hey!" snapped Knock Out.

"Now you did," sighed Miko slumping miserably in her seat. "What's so great that's going on anyway!?"

"They're probably all leaving the engine show cuz of the rain, and the town's too small to support of the traffic," said Raf. "Either that or we just happened to be coming by while it's starting."

Rain started to fall again right on cue and harder than last time. In fact there was a low rumble of thunder in the distance.

"That was a waste of carwash," said Knock Out.

"Well, at least we're almost out of the valley," said Jack trying to lift the spirits of his companions, but Raf and Miko only looked at him gloomily, and Knock Out laughed dryly. "Come on. We're so close to the base now, aren't we, Knock Out?"

"A few miles away, naturally. The irony is raw," remarked Knock Out with a wry smile in his voice.

"You'd think inside a Cybertronian we'd be able to do _some_ thing," said Miko.

"Would you like me to take an arm out from the side of the automobile with a buzz saw and scare everyone away?" teased Knock Out again.

Instead of answering, Miko just took out her phone and started playing games, and Knock Out chuckled again.

"We're gunna be here a while. You all might as well break for lunch," he remarked rather dryly. "In a car like this it doesn't matter anyway about the seats."

"Is it really lunch time?" asked Miko raising a brow briefly above her phone.

"No, it's almost eleven," said Raf, "but we don't have to…wait."

"'We don't have to wait?'" asked Miko.

This time she raised her head and turned to Raf. So did Jack. So did Knock Out for that matter; he glanced with the rearview mirror to see the purple and green beetle not too far behind. In fact he was just out of the way of the traffic jam, just behind the last vehicle.

"Well, if it isn't Tweedledee," muttered Knock Out, and to Miko he said, "I know some kiddy references too." Then more seriously he added, "Now where's Tweedledum?"

"Do you think he knows it's us?" asked Miko turning to Jack now.

"I don't know," said Jack. "Only if he saw _us_. There's no way he'd recognize Knock Out."

"Thanks for reminding me," muttered Knock Out, but he did not sound as offended as he might have earlier. He was too busy concentrating on Dead End. " _Hmm_ …it's difficult to say…but if he didn't know we were here, I don't think he'd be wasting his time at the tail end of a tra—"

"Knock Out!" Jack gasped.

Out of the corner of his vision Knock Out had just barely seen it—something firing from a nearby hill along the slope of the valley to the left. Instinctively he transformed with a yelp and leapt out of the way just to get hit in the arm. It had been aiming for the hood in vehicle mode and it could have been much worse.

Knock Out tumbled into the spring twiggy greenery on the other side of the road, and he tried to shelter the humans as best as he could before he came to a stop. He almost dropped Jack in the hand of the arm that had been shot, but Jack himself clung hard at his wrist enough to stay put.

"Missed!" snapped Dead End, purposely so that he could be heard on the outside of his vehicle, but not for the sake of his partner in crime still way up and barely visible on top of the hill. He could have easily called without allowing his voice outside.

He did it for Knock Out's sake.

The honking cars and panicking people were in the midst of a second foreign robotic giant then too. Dead End pushed to one side the already somewhat damaged vehicle that Knock Out had accidently hit on his way off of the road. Fortunately the couple inside had already ran out of the vehicle before Dead End smashed the front. His blade hand was ready as he stampeded towards him, but Knock Out was ready too.

Again rolling the children onto the ground as quickly and gently as he could, he took his uninjured hand and blocked the blade with a buzz saw. Sparks flew everywhere, but Knock Out could still see the shiny red glint of Swindle driving down from his hill towards them.

" _Rah_!" he growled.

He had to get away. Although Dead End was shorter in robot mode than Knock Out, he was bulkier, and it was difficult to shove him away by sheer force, but he managed it. Then scooping up the children and he ran.

Down he ran into a ravine holding out the children like hot potatoes in his attempt to keep from harming them as he went clumsily along. The rain was pelting, but there was no wind. He almost wished there was to keep the other from locating him as easily, but he knew that would not have delayed him much. After all, there would be the definite trail of broken shrubs and smaller trees on the way down no matter what the weather.

Then Dead End lunged. Knock Out heard it, but he did not have time to look back.

Running into the trees was just putting Dead End into his element. Most everything Lockdown had had Dead End and Swindle do in the past was located in jungles and forests far denser and wilder than this. He was almost like a mechanical monkey as he jumped onto Knock Out's back. And of course, not used to running downhill on rough terrain (or running much at all as that was the point of vehicle mode as far as he was concerned) and carrying delicate passengers, Knock Out tumbled and right at the edge of a cliff. He did all he could to keep the children safe, but he accidently let them go as Dead End jabbed his blade forward again. He grabbed Dead End at the wrists, but in the violence of his motion the ground beneath them gave way and everyone, humans and Cybertronians alike, fell to the waters below.

It was deep for the children, and it proved a better landing than they might have hoped as they scrambled to the surface. A second time Knock Out feared the worst, but as he emerged from the surface himself he saw them swimming desperately for shore. He just barely got a glance of them before Dead End pulled him under.

Like pair of angry crocodiles, they fought wildly in the water nothing more than some dirty old pond to them. Tooth and claw—or blade and saw—they fought. Sometimes striking, but neither one wounded the other deeply enough to stop him. They slipped on the rocks near the shore as each tried to escape the other.

Dead End tried to slice him in the neck, and with a savage growl to match Dead End's, Knock Out had two buzz saws that sliced the blade hand clean off.

Dead End howled more from anger than pain. It had been a clean enough break that no energon leaked out, but, Dead End no longer wanted to play in the water to keep his wrist from sparking if nothing more. Though, both had been knocked about enough to get water inside, which was most uncomfortable as it was already.

Knock Out shoved him into the pool again before he got too far. Dead End fired through it back at him with his laser. The gun that hit Knock Out however came from behind and hit him in the back from the sniper of Swindle.

"Ah!" he cried, and spun around just in time to escape the second shot from the laughing Swindle.

"High ground advantage!" scoffed Swindle. "I'm back! Did you think you could get rid of me that easily? How many loose screws you got in that head, huh?"

Dead End pushed Knock Out over then, and tried to fire at him at point blank range. Swindle was still trying to shower Knock Out with his own laser fire, but Knock Out was not about to allow himself to be trapped in the middle of them. Frantic in his lunge he shoved with all his force Dead End into the line of Swindle's fire.

Dead End gave a yelp as the laser-fire hit him, and Swindle stopped instantly.

"Sorry, Dead End!" he gasped.

"Get your tailpipe down here and help me get 'im!" snapped Dead End painfully. "Before you terminate us both!"

"Right!" agreed Swindle, but instead of leaping down into the ravine he suddenly drove off to find a better way down.

"Dainty for a guy named Swindle, isn't he?" remarked Knock Out.

" _Rrrah_!" growled Dead End and again grabbed Knock Out into the pool, but this time as they fought Knock Out kicked him down hard enough against the rocky shore to escape him. He seemed to have passed out in fact. Maybe offline. So Knock Out shoved him into the water again.

He spun his head around then, and the humans called out to him. Quickly he grabbed them and ran as fast as he could in the direction of the hideout.

#

It was not long before Swindle arrived, but he was too late to see where Knock Out had gone.

"Dead End?" he asked twiddling his fingers nervously at his sides.

Dead End moaned, and wrenched himself from the stony bank.

"Whoa! He really got you good!" gasped Swindle trying to help him out, but Dead End shoved him away.

" _Oh_ …" Dead End moaned again, hunched over like a poisonous purple and green frog in the rain still pelting, but he knew being abandoned by Lockdown would be worse.

So he pried himself forward and tried to lead Swindle away, but Swindle was the leader now. He looked around importantly and said, "So where'd he go, Dead End? How'd you let him get away?"

"I think he's headed back for the road in the opposite direction you went," said Dead End.

Swindle shone his headlights and looked in about the correct direction, but he could not see much. Wait! There was some broken brush, but Swindle's thoughts were interrupted as he noticed Dead End looking down instead of up, and the shorter Cybertronian smiled. Then he laughed.

Swindle winced at him, for Dead End's laugh was unusually grating.

"What?" Swindle demanded.

"I don't think he'll get far," said Dead End.

Swindle looked down and saw the glint in his headlight that was not the reflection of water, although it was mingled with it.

"Energon?" asked Swindle.

"Come on! I damaged him good, after all," Dead End growled. "The hunt is on!"

#

An easier way onto the road came within Knock Out's sight through the brush he was careful not to ruin too much so that he could make the trail more difficult for his adversaries, but he stumbled and slowed before reaching his destination. By the time he reached it he felt hot and weary. He began to pant before he realized that he was, and there was a pain inside growing steadily more pronounced the longer he went; though he dared not look down at himself to see the damage yet.

"Knock Out, are you alright?" asked Raf.

Knock Out paused and shook his head straightening himself as he did. "No, I'm not alright! This is the worse day ever! Look at me? I'm filthy and damaged, and the wrong car…"

As he spoke he transformed into the lovely Civic, and the humans were back inside; though still not really dry. It was almost as wet in the car as it had been outside, but at least they were sheltered from the rain.

"And it's raining, if you haven't noticed, and there're these two idiots after me that I would have trounced enough for the junk heap if I had my electro staff and didn't have to worry about casualties other than my own!"

"He means, are you hurt badly," said Miko.

"No, I mean, he _is_ hurt badly," said Raf.

"Are you okay enough to make it to where Ratchet is, at least?" asked Jack.

Even the sound of his car engine sounded a little funny as he drove forward.

"Maybe we should call Ratchet," said Raf.

"Yeah, at this rate we're just going to lead them straight to the hideout," agreed Jack.

"Yeah, maybe," Knock Out relented.

"They're here!" cried Miko thrusting a finger out the cracked window in the back.

The whole car jolted.

There they were coming up out onto the road not far behind them.

Knock Out squealed to a halt around a corner and pushed the humans out of him.

"Do you know where Ratchet's hideout is?" he demanded of Raf.

"Sort of," said Raf in alarm, "but—"

"Then get there!" Knock Out snarled. "I'll lead them away and lose 'em."

 _I'm still faster than they are_ , he thought as he started forward, but that toady-monkey of a freak Dead End leapt just then, having cut across the bend in the road and landed on top of Knock Out just as he ended his thought. Knock Out growled. Dead End's blade, although no longer attached was still in his clutches, and he stabbed the roof.

Knock Out transformed and shoved him off. Both of them skidded on the road painfully.

The humans leapt away from the road by instinct, and were quickly hidden in the brush. The action had not been made swift enough to avoid Swindle catching the movement in the corner of his vision however, and he ran towards them with an idiotic sneer.

"Here, kitty, kitties," he snickered.

"No!" growled Knock Out scrambling to his feet, but Dead End again stabbed him down so he fell again.

This time in the back just below the shoulder. Though Knock Out got him off before he plunged the blade too deep, it was fortune if nothing else that saved anything too vital getting struck. He apparently struck enough though to reach the line of energon to his arm, and at a spot where the line could not automatically shut off as could happen when a limb is sliced off. Stabbing a limb seemed more painful than removing it.

Even Knock Out's cry was severed as Dead End shoved his head into the pavement. His helm protected his head from any real damage, but it was enough to remove him from full senses for a few seconds. It did not take much because he already felt light headed with the energon that was already low and leaking, and now it spilled out fast at his shoulder. His vision began to blur and flicker, but he did not lose consciousness yet.

As he tried to get up he only reached his knees, and his uninjured arm had to support even that. That was when he realized that Dead End had left him. He registered that it was because Swindle, who had caught the children in a net now over his shoulder, claimed he wanted a good whack at the enemy before they left.

Miko especially was yelling angrily at their captors, but it was all in vain trying to get away from them. It only made Swindle laugh the more as he handed his net to Dead End.

"Just hurry it up!" snapped Dead End, going vehicle mode then with the humans inside. He had hardly finished his words before he started driving off.

Knock Out could hear them pounding on the inside of Dead End and calling his name, but Swindle kicked him in the back before he could get further up than he had been. Down on his face Knock Out fell again.

"So you lose, screwball!" said Swindle pleasantly. " _You're_ the one in energon blue, after all! Looks good on you, actually!"

Dead End honked back at Swindle to hurry him up.

" _Agh_! Pushy, pushy, pushy!" he grumbled and kicked Knock Out in the side. "I'd kill you, Autobot, but I don't have time to do it fun. So have fun knowing you lost your pets instead!"

Knock Out growled and tried to grab the cocky fool, but Swindle only laughed idiotically and transformed. Driving away and still howling with laughter, he left Knock Out to wallow in a pool of his own energon as the rain slowly came to a stop.

He might have gone offline anyway, for his body unable to cope with energon leaking so quickly, unable to compensate or save up for a reserve mode. His vision flickered again, and he tried to blink his optics clear. His mind was so woozy and his spark felt so low having failed so miserably, but he was still clear-headed enough to remember Ratchet. Sure, there would still be the danger of the OP Lockdown catching their signal, but at the moment that did not seem like a serious threat. The only things that mattered were those incredibly annoying losers getting away with the humans he had been entrusted with and his own pain and agony.

"Ratchet!" he wheezed. "Ratchet, come in. Come on!"

At first there was nothing. He feared he had damaged his communications somehow; though, those were difficult to break without serious damage to the cranium, and that was one part of him that was still very much intact.

He tried again stronger-voiced this time.

"Ratchet!" he growled.

" _Knock Out_!?" demanded Ratchet's voice on the other end. " _What happened? Where are you? Your signal's weak_."

Knock Out smiled weakly. "Maybe I'm more damaged than I thought."

" _What_?"

"Look, Ratchet, I'd _love_ to have an engaging discussion about this, but… _I_ …"

Oh, he could not keep it up.

"I need…help," he cracked desperately and panted in between, "medical help… _quickly_!"

" _I have your location now_ ," said Ratchet. " _I…_ " He stopped. Knock Out had a guess he had been about to ask about the children, but he changed his mind and he said instead rather bleakly, " _I'm coming._ "


	12. Review Day

JMJ

TWELVE: REVIEW DAY

A bright sun shone. The afternoon proved relatively peaceful after the violence that had just taken place. Birds sang in the distance rejoicing in the droplets falling from leaves not far from the road. The only thing not peaceful was Ratchet driving to Knock Out's location and the birds scratching at insects on the roadside taking flight at his coming.

From a distance he almost did not recognize the heap on the side of the road as Knock Out in that silvery-green hue, but he knew it was him and that things must have gotten bad if he had scanned a new vehicle mode for cover and in just a couple short days. He feared Knock Out was already offline, but as he neared the heap, Knock Out began to stir and to struggle upon hearing Ratchet's approach. He took it up a gear to reach him quicker then parked beside him and transformed out of vehicle mode glancing around to see that no one was about. He knew they could not stay long even if he could fix Knock Out properly right here and there. He had to get him back to the base.

"Knock Out," he said at the same time inspecting the damage. Most of it so far looked like it had to do with leakage more than anything. He probably could stop the leakage here with some of what he brought, but it was still a bit of a risk. "Knock Out, can you hear me?"

"Ratchet?" Knock Out gasped lifting his head weakly; though panic was bounding in his eyes. "Oh, at _last_ you're here! Just…just look at me!" And he sighed and closed his eyes miserably. "What I had to go through for quitting the Decepticons—I should've known that being with the Autobots…"

He sounded nearly like himself, and Ratchet found himself sighing in relief for that at least, but seeing that he was not as bad as he originally thought and how he went on in that fashion, Ratchet interrupted darkly, "That being with the Autobots was harder than you thought?"

Opening his optics Knock Out retorted, "No, what it would do to my physical well being not to mention my finish—my _whole_ automobile! I'm a stinkin'ten-year's out of date—"

Before Knock Out could finish Ratchet quickly pressed, "What happened to the humans?"

"Well—!" Knock Out's optics flashed for a few seconds and then he looked away weakly again. "They took them, what else?"

" _Lockdown_ attacked you?"

"His goons."

"Lockdown has henchmen?" demanded Ratchet and then shook his head. "But they're alive. The humans."

"To my knowledge they're not hurt at all," retorted Knock Out with a wheeze. "I took care of them as best as I could before they were captured, and they need them now to lure out Bumblebee, right?"

Ratchet paused, trying to keep from yelling, trying to keep his anger and his sorrow down for now. It was too late to take it out on Knock Out. Whoever took the children had already done more than a fine job of that, anyway, and he knew that Knock Out must have tried hard to keep the children too. By the look of him it seemed he had fought very hard.

"Can you transform?" Ratchet asked then far more gently. "I'll take you back to the base. It would be better than having you walk across fields to get there."

"I don't think…I've ever _been_ in this bad of shape. I don't think I'm…" He stirred and tried to get into a better conversational position, but Ratchet held his hand out and Knock Out paused.

"I'll stop the leakage first anyway," Ratchet said, "Calm down, so I can at least keep you from running dry. Stop struggling for a moment. You'll leak more."

"Yes, of course, Doctor, I know the drill," said Knock Out, who did not in any way resist Ratchet as he helped him off further away from the road a little more out of sight and then to turn him into a position that allowed Ratchet to open him up and patch the lines in a temporary fix so that they could reach the base.

Although Knock Out was cooperative he reacted almost like a child trying to be brave about it, for the experience was very new to him despite knowing the drill. It was only at that moment, that Ratchet understood that his patient had never experienced this kind of beating before.

Though Knock Out may have worked for the Decepticons since the early days of the war, he had never truly fought anyone in a way that would put him into too much harm until they ran out of better fighters here on Earth, because although he was good at fighting, when he had his electro-staff anyway, he was not good enough to not ever get damaged like this. It certainly proved how desperate the Decepticons had been at the time if nothing else, and he could not help but wonder who they had dragged out of the basement now to work for them and had beaten up Knock Out but had not killed him.

"Now can you transform?" asked Ratchet when he had finished.

"I can't drive," said Knock Out in full seriousness. "I know I can't do that."

"I have a winch," said Ratchet holding it up.

Knock Out laughed weakly and somewhat goofily, and then shook his head. "I'll try."

Closing his eyes briefly Knock Out shook and then after an uneasy pause he tried again and took on vehicle mode.

"Oh, that was more painful than expected," he moaned.

"But you're all right now?" asked Ratchet.

"As well as can be expected given the circumstances, Doctor."

Ratchet studied Knock Out for a few a moment or so to make sure. Then transformed himself and with the winch towed Knock Out back to the base.

It may have been a funny sight to see the strange ambulance towing a very broken car, but no one saw it to Ratchet's knowledge except a boy from a distance playing fetch with his dog, and he did not even have a phone with him to take a picture of them.

#

It was a lovely backup base, almost as good as the last one. The incomplete bridge left an open work station where Ratchet had left it in order to find Knock Out. It looked close to being finished, but upon his return he wasted no time in patching up Knock Out.

Knock Out transformed back, and he found it more painful than the first time. With a cry he recoiled a little, and shook so that his casing rattled.

Never had he felt so in pain. Honestly, he had never expected it to be so, well, painful, though, he felt he should have known. But then how can one be expected to know what it feels like no matter how many times one sees it until it happens to him.

With gentle care, Ratchet helped him down upon the work table, and it was not long before consciousness was taken from Knock Out.

First the lines were fixed properly, and that had been in stasis. Knock Out had rarely if ever been in stasis himself and when he awoke from it he did find the experience ironic if anything else that he was on the work table rather than the one working over the table. He smiled strangely at Ratchet as he came to. He also felt a little better and that helped tremendously.

Energon being administered medically also was helping him to feel better too, and he did not feel so hot. He closed his optics with ease and almost forgot about his failure and the children being kidnapped. It was not so bad, and in fact, he felt it to be about time someone else took care of him for a change. So he just relaxed and let Ratchet do and say what he needed to. After a time, Ratchet had Knock Out sit up so that he could work on his back more.

"Of course, Doctor," said Knock Out pleasantly, if not still somewhat feebly.

"It really isn't so bad, you know," said Ratchet, the first non-mechanical thing Ratchet had said since they got to the base. "You're lucky it wasn't worse."

"Oh, it's that bad, is it?" Knock Out could not help but mutter.

"I don't say things I don't mean."

Knock Out smiled and again closed his eyes.

"No, of course, not," he said in a tone that sounded rather insincere, "you're an Autobot medic. Nothing like how I did things on the _Nemesis_ , I'm sure. Reassuring Vehicons was almost a daily thing, especially when there was no hope for them."

Ratchet paused in his work, raised a brow, and then rolled his optics back to his work. "No, I can guarantee you that it's nothing like it was on the _Nemesis_ or any other Decepticon site." He paused once more and then said carefully, "Knock Out. As long as you're feeling in a more talkative mood, would you mind elaborating on what happened since we parted?"

Knock Out's face fell instantly at the memory of his failure. "Oh. Right. That. Well, apparently Lockdown's into goons these days."

"Yes, you said that. I never would have guessed it," said Ratchet. "They put some sort of device that jammed your communications for a time, I noticed." He held up a very damaged little gadget.

"Where was that?" Knock Out demanded.

"Right near the edge of your helm next to your audio receptor," said Ratchet. "They must have broken it anyway when they—"

"Massacred me?"

Ratchet grunted in affirmative.

"So much for their tactics," scoffed Knock Out.

"Are you sure they were not working for Megatron rather than Lockdown?"

"I'm pretty sure," said Knock Out, "though, I must admit they were Decepticon material—rude obnoxious, cowardly, barbaric. They attacked us more than once since I picked up the humans, and I guess third time's the charm when they hit me last."

Ratchet paused again briefly and then continued.

"They won't hurt them, Ratchet," said Knock Out. "They need them to get Bumblebee out of hiding, remember?"

"I don't know," said Ratchet.

"Oh, Lockdown only does what he needs to, doesn't he? He doesn't play games, right?"

"Not normally, no," said Ratchet, "but there are others involved in this besides Lockdown."

"Soundwave doesn't play games either," remarked Knock Out lightly. "The only ones who really liked to play games are not even proven involved, offline" (he paused briefly) "or he is reformed with you."

" _Hmm_. Still nothing's clear. I don't know what to think. Not anymore. Not without the guidance we once had."

Knock Out shrugged, and he smiled thoughtfully. "I know what you mean. I sure wish Optimus Prime was here. I know _I'd_ feel safer."

This was too much for Ratchet. He stopped altogether and leered at Knock Out. He knew although it was very difficult to understand, that Knock Out's tone did not always have to do with the meaning of his words, but he could not stand it this time. The disrespect, he felt for sure he sensed in the sensitive way of poor Ratchet, especially about their beloved departed leader, could not be fought against in his mind.

"Does any of this mean anything to you?" asked Ratchet sharply. "Do you take anything seriously besides yourself?"

Knock Out was taken aback. Though he did recall then that Ratchet was especially sensitive about Optimus' death since they had been friends for so long, Knock Out still felt much offended. He had practically died to try to save those humans, and Ratchet was not the only one who lost someone.

"I know you don't have much faith in me, Ratchet," Knock Out retorted, "but I promise you, I did everything I could to save the humans, and I fully meant what I said about Optimus Prime."

Ratchet looked down and sighed.

"I know," he said. "I'm sorry. I just— As soon as you're well enough you can help me with the bridge. There's no way we can get to them without help. We would at least need the bridge even if we did know where the humans were taken."

"Of course. But there is one other thing I need to do too," said Knock Out.

"What's that?" asked Ratchet hesitantly; no doubt he thought it would have something to do with getting rid of the civic or buffing out his scratches, but that only made Knock Out feel more satisfied with what he was about to say.

"I need to remake my weapon if I'm going to do anymore fighting around here."

Ratchet nodded and smiled somewhat sheepishly. "When you're well."

"I'll await my doctor's leave, of course," said Knock Out grinning knowingly. "Then we're getting those humans back even if it's just the two of us."

"Agreed."

#

When Soundwave sent word to Megatron, Megatron had immediately sent him their coordinates. When Soundwave had admitted that he was not in the best of shape (even in type rather than spoken aloud they seemed most reluctant), Megatron knew that he would not have admitted it at all unless he had great need. He had wasted no time in sending Skywarp to meet him. Starscream had been left without order to watch the screens and eye Megatron with suspicion.

It had taken a few of Earth days for Shockwave to help Soundwave out of his energon deficiency. Already just a touch of rust had accumulated on him while in between dimensions. Starscream could not say he felt the least bit of pity for him. Not that he pitied much else except himself when there was due cause for it, but he especially did not pity Soundwave and felt he had needed to have that experience. After being on top of the universe, as far as the Decepticon elite went, it served him well to be humiliated by fleshling spawns tricking him and then wasting away for a while in a place where he could not communicate with anyone properly. How he got out of the dimensional never land, Starscream still could not figure out. Soundwave seemed to have no intention of sharing, nor did Megatron seem curious enough to ask him unless he already had out of Starscream's hearing.

But Soundwave did not come empty handed apparently, so at least some curiosity would be satiated. It seemed, true to Soundwave's loyalty to the Cause, he had not been idle during his unusual imprisonment. Once Soundwave reemerged from medical care and looked about as good as new, he had something to share. Even the lazy-eyed Skywarp had enough curiosity to watch the show Soundwave had recorded.

Megatron was in front, of course, hands behind his erect back and face leering evenly. He showed no signs of eagerness—more patronizing patience than anything.

Starscream could not help but smile smugly at the thought that Megatron did not have much faith in the usefulness of what his usually so beloved servant had to offer here. He soon forgot about that however as the show took his full attention away from those present in the chamber.

It was like watching the screen from a psychic patch in a way, except they were all images Soundwave had taken while spying on the Autobots. Any imagery Starscream could see of the Autobots without their knowing of it filled him with supreme satisfaction anyway in the most petty of manners. What made it pettier still was that he knew it was petty and was proud of it, because he deserved to be petty.

Megatron and his followers watched as the Autobots cleaned up after their mess on Cybertron and some of their plans for rebuilding both the physical structures and the fallen society.

When he saw them work with the Vehicons to rebuild, Starscream could not help but sniff at their yellowing eyes as he muttered, "I didn't know they could do that."

Hunching over just a little, he eyed Skywarp sourly. Skywarp, nearly as straight in his stance as Megatron, only minimally glanced in return without reply under half-closed lids, but the slight raising of his brow showed just enough derision that Starscream huffed and returned to the show.

The memorial of Optimus Prime was especially satisfying to Starscream even if he did still feel somewhat queer himself at his sudden passing. Though, he did now know Optimus' sacrifice. He sneered at their poignant words and somber faces, and he snickered as they told each other what Optimus Prime would want of them next.

Soundwave sped up a little to where they elected Bumblebee, and then to where there were shown special codes, screens, locations of important weapons and equipment. This obviously was some of the things that Soundwave thought were most important, but how the hatchlings were being kept was the first part of the show that brought a reaction out of Megaton.

First he let out a single amused grunt, and Starscream eyed him strangely, while Starscream himself wondered.

With a window-domed ceiling looking out into the sky, the energon sacks were placed with care in the hatchery, each with (what might be called) loving care. Gear-like spiral designs adorned the floor and pillars strutted about reminiscent of the palace of old. It was made to look grand and homey, not like a standard sanitized and functional medical wing as the hatchery had in the old days. There was even a small crystal garden in the lobby or hall between the wings, and the nursery attached was as cozy as a personal chamber though incomplete as of yet. There was, of course, a medical wing too that was very tidy and homey as well. The whole place looked like a garden conservatory, and thus far it was the grandest of the buildings complexes other than Capital Hall.

The delicate care the Autobots took over the still primitive life forms resembled the manner of their human pets, degraded into over pampering of creatures that would not remember these earliest parts of life. Starscream could not be sure whether to scoff or to relent to his resentment that his own early life had not been the same—that he had not been moved functionally from one stage of life to the next (not without care, of course, as Cybertronians had never been callous to new sparks or hatchlings—they were not barbaric in any sense) but this was just the beginning too. Through a couple conversations between Arcee and Bumblebee, he learned that they fully intended to separate them out and given to each Autobot as their children. "Children" was actually the word they used too.

Obviously, had the Decepticons gotten hold of the renewed planet before the Autobots, even they would have treated the young generation with the topmost priority, but priority, not "As primitives treat familial offspring," as said Megatron greatly amused.

"It's from their insistence upon corresponding with their pets, of course, Lord Megatron," agreed Starscream grinning at Skywarp who still only smiled minimally in return and very briefly. "Consort with primitives and one is bound to start behaving like one. Their over-pampering will come to no good in the end. A weak and helpless generation is all they'll get from it. It's almost worse than the council of old (which we did an excellent job of annihilating) hurrying life stages along as quickly as possible so that they could be sent to wo…"

Now it was Megatron who turned to him, and he did not look pleased.

Starscream stifled a titter into a cough and darted his optics away. "Yes! Well! Perhaps we should continue?" He clasped his claws together.

"Perhaps," snorted Megatron and then he returned ahead of him. "Soundwave," he said.

Soundwave continued, and Starscream soon forgot even hatchlings and nurseries when some attention was suddenly drawn onto Knock Out. All the while he had been there, of course, and Starscream had mildly noted him until now. Knock Out with the "winning team" and getting socked in the face for it by Miko of all people. Knock Out being touched by Optimus' last words and looking as bashful as a shy hatchling being praised for the first time when Optimus included him with the rest of the team. Knock Out trying his hardest to live up to Optimus' words: apologizing to Vehicons, humbling himself before President Bumblebee, humbling himself before Bulkhead and Arcee. It was laughable. It was pleasurable. It was at times quite awkward, and Starscream felt just a tinge of bitterness that he could not have explained if he tried, but that just made him all the more ready to scoff to bury memories of a time he had been invited to share the same life. He had scoffed at such chances then. He had all but bit the hand Optimus Prime had offered him more than once. So to see that Knock Out took it just after some silly death speech made by the Prime, Starscream scoffed at it now. But at this moment where Soundwave himself brought attention to Knock Out, it was Skywarp who spoke first as witnessed Knock Out asking Bulkhead how he fared as Autobot material.

"I'm not surprised," he said with a careless shrug.

"Aren't you?" mocked Starscream.

"No," said Skywarp. "He was only picked up."

"Yes, yes, that is true," returned Starscream quietly. "An assistant scientist at the laboratory under Dr. Perceptor who claimed to be a neutral party until we discovered his traitorous actions in giving weapons to the Autobots. I gave the order to you and Thundercracker to take seeker Vehicons to make them change their minds." He grinned. "I was under the impression that Knock Out was more than willing to cooperate, however. The only one too."

"Thundercracker had his way with those who refused to join us; except for the head scientist himself," Skywarp said.

"Curse him," muttered Starscream, who knew him far better as the detestable Wrecker he had become after losing his lab and his scientists.

"Before their punishment had been enacted, Knock Out surrendered." Sky warp shrugged. "Out of fear. He did quickly convert once with us, but…"

"Still not surprised," finished Starscream.

"No."

"Well, if all he cares for is which side is winning at a given time, we shall make him regret his lack of faithfulness," retorted Starscream.

Again Skywarp raised a brow and said nothing.

Starscream grinned and looked about to speak again, but his wings jolted upright in surprise when he saw the new ravaged rusted figure on the screen.

"They have Jetfire too!" exclaimed Starscream.


	13. World Domination

JMJ

THIRTEEN: WORLD DOMINATION

"He's hardly a threat, especially in that condition," said Megatron then, and to Soundwave he said, "Is there anything more?"

Besides the little squirt of an Autobot Quickshift that had come along with Jetfire, Soundwave had to admit that he had nothing more.

"As entertaining as that was," said Megatron after a pause and Soundwave had turned off the recordings, "there is very little worth in anything you have shown me. We already know about Bumblebee as I'm sure you're well aware. I hired Lockdown to destroy him on Cybertron, but as fortune would have it, he has already come to my domain. The only real problem is, I no longer require Lockdown's services to be rid of him, but he can do as he will. Whether he kills Bumblebee or we do, I care little, but to keep the peace I will allow Lockdown the honor."

Soundwave straightened and cocked his head. Though the visor shielded his eyes, his leer could be guessed, and Starscream felt his annoyed confusion and again smiled with satisfaction. Soundwave had never been particularly fond of working with Lockdown either.

"I own Earth now," said Megatron. "True to my word, I find little use in force. There's no reason for it when a foolish and primitive race will owe their allegiance to me without question as long as their promised something in return."

He walked over to the window. Soundwave did not follow him except with his vision. Out the window one could see over the curve of the moon the image of the Earth. It gleamed like a glowing jewel coming out of the moon surrounded by an inky sea.

"The only exception I've made is Bumblebee," said Megatron, "but I think I have the right to an eye for an eye besides the fact that he is the only one I believe who would truly get in my way this time without Optimus Prime. And without Optimus Prime everything has changed. I found it easier than I expected gaining contact with fleshling leaders. 'Bankers' mostly. Their greed is insatiable, and I apparently give them hope for a feast of technological advancement and power so that they lick my feet."

There was a pause and then Soundwave reminded him in Silas' voice, The human factor.

"This situation is vastly different," said Megatron. "I care nothing for Earth or its creatures. I simply own the planet. We have already found sightings of Bumblebee hiding as well as he can below radar, but he cannot hide for long. Perhaps you will be able to help with that quicker now that you're here. Then we will take it from there. Through their communications I also know of some plots of treachery, and am keeping an eye on them. In memory of Silas, as you mentioned, there is a new form of MECH on the loose as well, but I am well aware of their doings."

"And they seem to have a device that can simply out maneuver the willpower of a Cybertronian that must be installed in the brain somehow," Starscream said quickly.

Megatron ignored him. "I only need Earth long enough to have Cybertron. Once Bumblebee is out of the way, we can negotiate with his followers. If they care about Earth, which I know they do, they will not abandon it."

"But will they trade, Master, is what I doubt," said Starscream.

"Even if temporarily, I believe they will," said Megatron. "They already have in a way. All their attention is on Earth where I want it to be, and they will have Earth and we will possess Cybertron. Then we will outnumber them too greatly once we have the New Generation of hatchlings for any of those foolish enough to think that Cybertronians have sides any longer to interfere with my reign. As I've explained before. There are no Autobots. There are no _Decepticons_. There's only our race and I will unite them in due time."

There was an uneasy pause, and Soundwave stared at Megatron's back still turned to him. Starscream looked from one to the other and back again. He did not smile this time, but watched with keen interest. Even still he was pleased with the fact that now Soundwave understood. There was no cause but Megatron's, and although his logic was questionable to say the least (perhaps he had deactivated one too many times and it was all getting to him), now even the great Soundwave had been put into his place.

"Times have indeed changed," said Starscream knowingly.

Megatron turned and glanced at Starscream darkly as though trying to scan what was behind his words, but Starscream only bowed humbly with a low, "Lord Megatron", and Megatron passed him by.

By the time Starscream lifted his head, his smile had returned; though he found that now Soundwave watched him intently, probably recording him too, no doubt, and Starscream only smiled the wider and muttered carelessly, "But some people never change."

With that he took his leave like a proud dog after his master.

#

-SOME DAYS EARLIER

They did not have to wait for the space bridge to be fixed. There was one ship that had not been damaged by Lockdown, because it had not been there to be destroyed. The only reason Lockdown had not destroyed the bridge was because he had destroyed the old Nemesis bridge that they had taken out. Once this free ship, the _Jackhammer_ by name, had been contacted no time was wasted in its pilot taking it towards earth.

No one knew better than Ratchet how to fix a bridge and he was on Earth, so instead of fumbling with equipment that they might never get to work properly, the Autobots on Cybertron took this chance instead.

"Only one problem," said Smokescreen. "We're not all gunna fit in the _Jackhammer_ , are we?"

Wheeljack grunted amused by the idea even though he would not have liked it had it been reality, but before he said anything he allowed Ultra Magnus to speak who was slowly coming forward.

"We should not all go," said Ultra Magnus. "It would be foolish to do so even if we could all fit. Cybertron cannot be left alone."

"Oh, right, the little ones," agreed Smokescreen. He had been so excited that he had almost forgotten and he sighed. "So what are we going to do?"

"Those of us most useful here should stay," said Arcee. "That means you should probably stay, Smokescreen."

"But I'd be just as useful with them," insisted Smokescreen.

" _I'll_ go with!"

Everyone turned at the surprise entrance of Jetfire and his boom of a voice.

"Are you sure?" asked Arcee. "You still don't have the strength you once did."

Everyone thought he was lucky to be up and about now at all.

"Let him come," said Wheeljack with a knowing sort of smile. "I know that look. He won't be good for you here with a look like that."

"I've waited over a hundred years rusting on that planetoid," said Jetfire pounding his staff upon the ground, "only to find a war still lingering on because of a lunatic, and no Prime to lead the true cause for our race, but if I can help in any way to save the leader left behind in the Prime's place, I will do it even if it takes everyone ounce out of me that remains, and any other damage I can do to the sickly and pathetic remains of the Decepticon Cause! I promise you, I have a lot more in me than I appear to, and I'm ready to use it for the right side."

"Spoken like a true warrior, Jetfire!" said Wheeljack, and he crossed his arms. "I'll take you and—"

"Me?" offered Quickshift. "I want to do my part after wandering around for so long too. I'm more than an equerry, you know. I can fight! I know I'm not the brightest thing in the world, but you give the orders, Mr. Wheeljack, and, I'll be the best sidekick you'd ever had."

"If I ever had a sidekick," remarked Wheeljack.

"Sounds good," said Arcee now amused herself and she glanced with a pleasant smile at Wheeljack. "Take the guys that still got enough fight in them to do it."

Wheeljack shrugged. "Sure. That'll work."

"Oh, thank you, sir!" Quickshift exclaimed.

Smokescreen made a face. "I still have fight," he muttered.

"We need someone like that here too," Arcee tried to comfort him.

"Right," nodded Smokescreen; though he still felt thoroughly disappointed and it showed.

Even still as a parting gift he did have an idea so that at least part of him was going. Just before the trio left, Smokescreen stopped Quickshift.

"Here," he said.

"What?" asked Quickshift looking in great surprise at the phase shifter in Smokescreen's hand, and after registering it clearly, Quickshift immediately shook his head. "Oh, no, Smokescreen. I can't take that! It's _yours_. Your signature weapon."

"It needs to be out there," said Smokescreen. "We have other weapons here if worse comes to worse, but there's gunna be a lot of sneaking around, I'm sure, and you'll need this to get you through it."

"Oh," said Quickshift taking it with care. "Well, if you're sure."

"I'm sure."

"Then I promise it will return with action to add to its name." And Quickshift nodded promptly.

#

…Thus it was. Wheeljack took the newcomers out; though they were not new to fighting or to strife. By the time Soundwave had finished his presentation of Cybertron to "the sickly and pathetic remains of the Decepticon Cause", they were within sight of the Milky Way. The warp drive on the _Jackhammer_ slowed down and they skimmed the rest of the way towards Earth.

By the time they saw it in its jeweled brilliance Soundwave had found Bumblebee with the help of every camera Earth possessed, and word was quickly sent to Lockdown. Although disgruntled at being told where his quarry was by his client, especially as he had been close to finding him himself without the help of Bumblebee's human pets, he wasted no time and no weapon descending upon Earth.

"Should we do anything, boss?" asked Swindle as he hurried after Lockdown along the corridor to the launch bay.

"I don't care," said Lockdown in a tone that proved he was already in hunting mode and did not want to be bothered. "Just stay with the ship."

"Of course, boss!" said Swindle with a salute, and then turning to Dead End he said, "We're guarding the ship!"

Lockdown disappeared behind the automatic doors, and Dead End muttered, "So we are. Did you ask him about the humans?"

Swindle shrugged. "He didn't say. Just keep 'em like the rest of the zoo, I guess."

"Until Lockdown says otherwise," Dead End agreed.

#

Little did they know that Lockdown's exit upon a personal jetpack from his ship had been observed from the _Jackhammer_. Lockdown's ship, the _Knight_ was cloaked both from equipment and the naked eye, of course, but Lockdown's exit was not in the event of a nearby naked eye. How could that one in a million chance take place that someone would be able to see him drop from an invisible hatch with their own optics, after all? It was only lucky for them that the _Jackhammer_ was cloaked in time.

The crew aboard the _Jackhammer_ were surprised enough to see this event, but Wheeljack did not waste any time any more than Lockdown.

With the _Knight's_ present-day master gone this may be the only chance he got. He sent out a tracker to hit the ship in a spot that it would be unlikely to be noticed except by its captain when he returned.

"Should we risk going in now or try to contact the others?" asked Quickshift worriedly.

"Lockdown's found his 'quarry'," said Wheeljack without looking back. "There's no doubt about that."

"No indeed!" said Jetfire. "He's ready to swoop in for the kill!"

Wheeljack did not answer but immediately contacted Bumblebee as they sped through the atmosphere of Earth after Lockdown. Even had he known about the radio silence, it did not matter anymore if Lockdown was aimed for Bumblebee.

"Bumblebee," he called. "Are you in?"

First there was no answer, but Wheeljack tried again. "Prez? This is Wheeljack. Lockdown's just about to land on you."

" _Wheeljack_ ," came Bumblebee then; he sounded tired and Wheeljack could not blame him. " _Where are you_?"

"Just above Earth," said Wheeljack. "He's coming in. You want backup?"

"No," said Bumblebee quite suddenly. "We'll take care of him. You gotta find Lockdown's ship. Find out if Ratchet or Knock Out's around too and then take them with you."

"We're not leaving you, Mr. President," retorted Wheeljack.

"You gotta save the humans."

Wheeljack paused. "You mean Miko and them?"

"They've been captured by Lockdown! He's been trying to get me out of hiding for a trade! I'll distract him so you can get them. Then come after me."

There was another pause as he glanced at his screen taking quite good care to keep track of the _Knight_.

"You sure you want us to contact Ratchet and Knock Out first?" he asked.

"Why?"

"Well, I think I can just pick you up now and we can head for the humans before he even knows you're not on site," said Wheeljack with a shrug.

"What?"


	14. The Cloak of the Knight

JMJ

FOURTEEN: THE CLOAK OF THE KNIGHT

Sparks flew upward in a dazzling display lighting up Knock Out's contented smile as he tried out his electro staff for the first time. It was a mini lightning storm at his disposal as it should be, so that the next time he had a fight with thing one and thing two or any other creep he would now prove what a fighter he could be.

"And it comes with a few _new_ features too," he explained; though he doubted Ratchet was really listening as he was still working diligently since their failed attempt at getting the bridge going.

Even still Knock Out wanted to see the demonstration if no one else did. He pulled a slot ring in the middle of the staff like a cocking of a gun, and at the opposite end from the two prongs came out a glinting spear, which could also send out an electric pulse though not quite as strongly as the pronged side. Now he had an electric zapper and a blade, two weapons in one. With another cock of his staff he could also make it extend suddenly on either side of his choosing so that the enemy would be unprepared. Three weapons in one, actually, because as always he could still use it like a _bo_ , which he often had in the past. Closing up both sides he could wield it with the dexterity of a ninja. To prove his point he swung it a little, perhaps a little ostentatiously, but he was only being enthusiastic, and found that he had lost no skill in his time since losing his old electro-staff.

"I'm a true medic combatant; I can break all the parts of your body while naming them. Now this is what I call a weapon," he said quite satisfied, and he glanced at Ratchet not in the least sharing his enthusiasm.

In fact, as he already knew, Ratchet still had his entire focus on the bridge. He only noticed Knock Out's wielding because the motion had caused Ratchet to fear something breaking, but when nothing was, Ratchet returned to his work.

Knock Out smiled broader and after shrinking his staff down to a safe and compact state he slide it behind him along his back in a special hold.

"Take a break, Ratchet," teased Knock Out then. "You're going to drive yourself into a wall like that."

"Every minute wasted is a minute too much," retorted Ratchet. "Come over and help me now that you're done with your weapon. Even if we do fix it on our side, the stronger side that will make the bridge safe to use is on Cybertron."

"Yes, I know," Knock Out shrugged and made his way over. "It won't take long for you to communicate with the others on how to fix it properly once you can open it from our side enough to reach them."

"That _is_ the idea," agreed Ratchet.

Knock Out felt much more himself now, almost as if his attack from the kidnappers had not happened, except of course for the civic that would need a change soon even if he did already change his color from the ghastly silver-green to red again and added his flame job back. He leaned over where Ratchet was working over the open wires and cables, and he said casually, "I still think you should step back a moment. You're getting extremely flustered. That's when people start making mistakes."

Ratchet let out a huff, straightening himself. He eyed Knock Out queerly.

"That's what Dr. Proxima always said to Dr. Perceptor," Knock Out remarked.

"You knew Perceptor?" said Ratchet doubtfully.

"I was a trainee under him, you might say, before the you-know-what," said Knock Out pleasantly. "You're a lot like him, actually. It makes it kinda like home. I could fluster his plates by just standing in the same room sometimes, and as a young Cybertronian it didn't make any sense to me. Why? Did _you_ know him?"

"Not well personally, admittedly," said Ratchet. "But everyone knows he was very good at what he did."

"He was," replied Knock Out. "The best, as long he remembered to take his breaks in between his work. I mean, I'm glad you weren't working on _me_ in such a state as you are now."

"Is that so?" demanded Ratchet with a skeptical brow.

"I know you have the 'gift', as they claim, most of the time, but I understand completely. You're worried about the children and you don't like the company and you're eager to get this show on the road," said Knock Out with a shrug. "How 'bout a drive. Clear your head. I'll take over while you're gone."

"You will?"

Knock Out grinned and lowered his lids so they were almost closed upon his optics. "Don't you trust me?"

Ratchet sighed. "Alright," he murmured. "Fifteen minutes. Then I'll be back. And I _don't_ hate your company, by the way."

"Oh, well, that's good to hear, but I didn't say 'hate'," said Knock Out watching idly as Ratchet made his way to the exit.

Ratchet paused. "Thank you, for helping."

"I believe that's why I'm here," said Knock Out brightly.

"…And for being on our side in this, Knock Out," Ratchet added, and Knock Out's smile faded and looked with interest. "Don't think we don't appreciate it. There were a lot of Decepticons towards the end that Optimus tried to convince to abandon their cause—to stop the destruction of our race when what they originally were fighting about can hardly matter anymore and only stubborn pride could really be holding them back when they themselves were obviously growing weary or mad from how long the fighting went on. Although, I won't lie, I did not think you were after anything but a free ride at first after so many betrayals and disappointments. We had just recovered from trusting the new appearances of our own, really; and just your overall attitude about it the whole thing did not seem trustworthy. I know it must have been a hard choice to make and a hard change to live out especially now, and…"

Knock Out's smile stretched out almost Cheshire Cat-like and his optics pleasantly lowered as he replied happily, "You're welcome. Ratchet." He bowed slightly but rather gallantly even still.

Ratchet nodded, looking somewhat sheepish again as he blinked at the ground with a small smile for a few seconds, but after turning around he let it go. He was just about to transform to take his leave too when suddenly his communicator went off.

" _Hey, Ratchet, you in_?"

Ratchet was taken aback, "Wheeljack?"

" _We're coming in for a quick landing before we get those humans back_ ," Wheeljack said.

"You know where they are?" gasped Ratchet putting him on the main computer instead of his personal communicator.

" _On board the_ Knight _, which we happen to have a fix on for now_ ," said Wheeljack. " _Bumblebee and Bulk insisted on being the diversion to keep Lockdown busy. We're gunna need you as our ground base by order of the president, and we're wondering if you could spare us Knock Out_."

Knock Out brightened immediately.

"I'm willing to be spared," said Knock Out.

Ratchet looked at him with a frown, but before he could speak, Wheeljack said, "Great, come out then and we'll pick you up, and we'll explain on the way back."

"Is this plan well thought out?" Ratchet demanded.

" _As well thought out as it can be_ ," said Wheeljack. " _We might not get another chance like this. We got a lock on Lockdown's ship, and the longer we wait, the longer we risk Bumblebee's diversion going sour_."

Knock Out was already prancing for the door like a freshly matured hatchling ready without the knowledge of fear.

Ratchet spun around. " _Ih, ip, ip,_ where are you going?"

"Ah, yes, of course, how hasty of me to forget my promise," said Knock Out turning to face him with a smile. "Do I have my doctor's leave to regain my honor after losing the humans? I feel in top form again and have myself a proper weapon with which to fight the enemy properly."

Ratchet rolled his eyes. "I tempted to say 'no', since if this does go 'sour' there's no way you should be put in a fight against anything more than Lockdown's guard dogs, but given the—"

" _Relax, Ratchet_ ," said Wheeljack. " _Is he okay to come or not_?"

"He can," said Ratchet with a sigh.

"Thank you, Doctor, for your understanding," Knock Out said and continued out the door.

Ratchet shook his head and indeed flustered a little to himself before turning to the screen again, but Knock Out could hear him on the _Jackhammer'_ s computer soon enough as he quickly hopped aboard the hovering craft just outside the base.

" _Is Bumblebee sure about the distraction_?" he asked.

"As soon as Knock Out's got the humans we'll bring them back to you," said Wheeljack already flying the ship out to space again. "Then us three will go help Bumblebee and Bulkhead."

" _I still don't like the sound of this_ ," Ratchet could be heard muttering.

"No worries, Ratchet," Knock Out butted in, his weapon already majestically over his shoulder. "So far everything seems just as sound as a plan of old, if I recall them…on either side."

" _Except we don't have a Prime on our side_ ," said Ratchet, and it was a warning on his part not mourning.

#

Swindle gasped. "We've been infiltrated!"

"What?!" demanded Dead End over the sound of the alarm. "How? We're supposed to be cloaked, and I thought these Autobots were stranded anyway, how—"

"Who cares about 'how', just send the Raptors!" cried Swindle pounding the correct button with a fist after shoving Dead End out of the way…

There was no hope of not being detected aboard the _Knight_. The security system would have taken weeks at least to figure out how to trick it, but that was why the rescue had to be quick. The computers were alerted as soon as it was infiltrated. Then it was Wheeljack, Jetfire, and Knock Out to slip inside while Quickshift took care of the _Jackhammer_ for the trio's quick getaway.

Although fast and deadly, the Raptor-bots were not fast or deadly enough get past Jetfire's laser hand or Knock Out's electro staff. Their enthusiasm was not the greatest either even if their rage seemed to make up for it, but Knock Out did not heed this so much as he felt satisfied that he and Jetfire made an excellent team.

Swindle and Dead End were still fighting amongst themselves too about what should be done when suddenly they were quite interrupted by the entrance of Wheeljack. With their hands around each other's necks they blinked at him optics wide as with a smile he offered them a small grenade.

" _IIAAAAH_!" they cried and scrambled out of its way as fast as they could, but Wheeljack's aim was more for the controls than for the idiots. At least for the first round.

 _BOOM!_

#

"What is it, Soundwave?" Megatron demanded.

Soundwave pointed out the damaged cloak of the Lockdown's ship on screen in front of them, and he replayed the explosion on his visor screen from just seconds before.

"Someone is attacking the _Knight_!" Starscream hissed the obvious before Megatron could respond.

"Then by all means, Starscream," said Megatron lightly as he straightened himself and leered at his once first lieutenant, "make yourself useful and do something about it."

"But—!" gasped Starscream and then shook his head and smiled nervously. "We have no idea how many there are, Lord Megatron. I have no Vehicons to command as you have explained to me yourself, and why should it matter to us if the Autobots—er, the misguided Cybertronians, have taken it upon themselves to destroy Lockdown? It is a befitting distraction that they waste their energon on him rather than on us, isn't that so, Master? Besides, Lockdown does not care about loyalties, why should he feel betrayed if we aren't around to monitor his ship? That is not part of our agreement."

"Nevertheless, I am not willing to take the risk of them overtaking the _Knight_ , one of the greatest warships ever built. However much Lockdown has modified it to fit his purpose, it can easily be put back to its original use," muttered Megatron in a tone that sounded unconcerned which made Starscream all the more uncomfortable, as though Megatron was ordering him on a suicide mission on purpose to get rid of him.

"I am ever loyal to you, Master," insisted Starscream with a hurried bow.

"Not 'ever', Starscream," said Megatron, his temper showing just a little.

Starscream was taken aback. "But you know how I've learned my lesson!" he whined.

"Then get down there!" Megatron was almost on top of Starscream with his last snarl, but he stopped suddenly as he noticed the bow of Soundwave.

Starscream looked too, his optics still wide and his teeth clenched. Then Megatron turned back to Starscream and backed away from him.

"You will accompany Soundwave and Skywarp, and there will be no further discussion. Get them out of the _Knight_ by any means necessary."

"Thank you, Lord Megatron," Starscream heaved in relief.

"Thank Soundwave," returned Megatron

Starscream tried to hide his pout by further bowing his head.

Soundwave showed the humans on his visor to ask Megatron what was to be done with them. Everyone knew that was what the attackers were after.

"We can keep them from being rescued if possibly," said Megatron rather carelessly again. "They might be some use, but don't make it top priority."

With that he motioned the trio to make themselves scarce.

Together with Skywarp who had been rather motionless up until this point, Soundwave and Starscream exited the lunar base via their own newly fashioned bridge built by Shockwave and reappeared in the _Knight_.

#

"There!" exclaimed Knock Out quite pleased with himself.

His scientific background had enabled him to get the doors to shut without their authorized access to the _Knight_. The raptors were growling and hissing on the other side trying to open it again as Knock Out jammed it. They snarled at each other in broken words that they could not allow the intruders into the main holding bay.

Knock Out brushed his hands together and smiled. "That should hold them for a while."

"But not for long," grumbled Jetfire, and without warning he began pulling Knock Out with him through this upper corridor.

"Whoa! Hey!" Knock Out called, but he was soon hurrying after Jetfire, whose longer strides had Knock Out trotting to keep up.

"You know," said Knock Out after a moment, "you're pretty spry for almost rusting up like the last elder not too long ago."

Both of them stopped as they saw the opening to the main holding bay. Even the size of the ship had not quite prepared them for the massiveness of this hold, nor the zoo it held within. As they stood for a moment at the edge of the outreaching platform, Knock Out leaned over the rail in wonder at the cages and creatures in that place.

An assortment from all over the universe. Some were bigger than Megatron, and the small ones were an assortment of body types, colors, and cries, which seemed all the stranger bathed in atmospheric light and surrounded in echoes. Some swam in what looked like acid, as well as water and bubbling goop.

"How are we supposed to find the humans in that!?" Knock Out demanded throwing his arms out in front of himself.

"Don't give up so easily," retorted Jetfire. "You sure are an excitable little ground rover, and I thought I knew some excitable flights. We just go to where the newest ones are kept."

He thrust a curved talon-like finger out across the holding bay where dull screens actually did flash dates across each section of otherwise seemingly disorganized cages in clear and legible standard Cybertronian.

"Ah!" said Knock Out holding up a finger of enlightenment. "How clever of you." He grinned.

"Not really, just observation," Jetfire muttered, for apparently the joke was not funny enough to play along with.

Then he leapt over the rail with impressive grace in spite of his still aged appearance, and Knock Out jumped after him, landing with at least equal grace and purposeful solid landing. Except that when he landed he apparently startled a rather gruesome, slimy looking beastie that snarled angrily at him.

Knock Out let a little cry escape himself, but he soon straightened again and was looking about casually from cage to cage as Jetfire skulked ahead of him. They made their way to the newest arrivals.

"I wonder what he keeps so many alive for," thought Knock Out out loud. "I thought he was more a trophy hunter, not this."

"It's difficult to say," said Jetfire. "Some of them may still be wanted for their heads, but not all of them."

"Yeah, that doesn't explain the whole zoo. Perhaps he wishes to breed more challenging quarries to hunt," suggested Knock Out with a shrug. "Or maybe it's just to confuse his enemies."

Jetfire eyed him curiously a moment before cocking his head to a small sound.

Then Knock Out heard it too.

"Knock Out!" the voice called. "Is that you?!"

"The humans!" both Jetfire and Knock Out said not entirely together, but they saw the cage together as they turned.

It almost looked like a hamster cage with clear walls and a couple strange tubes through which a human-sized hamster might crawl. There were four compartments to which the tubes led and were not cut off to the prisoners; though in one of the two bottom compartments the humans stood side by side, Jack, Miko, and Raf, with their hands upon the clear walls.

"There, safe and sound!" said Knock Out straightening.

"We're so glad to see you," breathed Jack as the two Cybertronians approached.

"Are you Jetfire?" asked Raf politely of Knock Out's new companion.

"Jetfire, at your service, little humans, but we don't have time for pleasantries," said Jetfire.

"Are those real wings?" asked Miko. "Finally we have someone who can fly! The bad guys can't be the only ones with wings!"

Knock Out tapped his chin as he examined the cage. "Hmm, now how do we remove you without having you suffocate…ah! The central orb is removable, I see, and is equipped with its one oxygen supply and recycler."

"The release is to the left," said Raf, as quickly the humans hurried into the ball.

There was a flat platform on the lowest sixth portion to protect the ventilation to the oxygen flow coming from beneath it, and Knock Out saw almost before he was told the small release to the bottom left so that it shot out smoothly towards him and sealed itself sharply closed as it detached from the tubes of the cage.

Just as Knock Out had them in his clutches too they heard a violent metallic sound from above and a screeching followed by growls.

"They're getting through," said Knock Out turning quickly to Jetfire.

"Scrap! I'll hold them off. You find the first entrance we saw earlier," said Jetfire.

"And then get to the rendezvous point," Knock Out chirped. "Right. Can't risk anything happening to the charges."

And there they parted ways. There was more than enough space for Jetfire to transform into his Cybertronian jet and fly right through the tunnels towards the raptor-bots.

"So what's the plan?" Miko asked. "Is it just you guys?"

Knock Out grinned and then started quickly forward in the opposite direction from Jetfire.

"No," he said, "We're dropping through a rendezvous point where Quickshift will pick us up, aboard the _Jackhammer_. Wheeljack apparently is knowledgeable about this ship."

"I bet he escaped from it before! I can see him with a bounty on his head!" exclaimed Miko. "Where's Wheeljack now!"

"He's around somewhere taking care of the gatekeepers," said Knock Out.

He could see the main entrance up ahead, and he beamed at their success.

"Alright!" exclaimed Miko pumping her fist. "Let's join him, and get those two punks!"

"Well, she's obviously been okay," teased Knock Out, and though his tone did not change much, he said with more serious purpose, "I hope you two have been fine."

"Let's just not talk about it," said Jack.

"Sounds good," replied Knock Out lightly.

They were just about to exit the zoo of angry animals, beasts, and perhaps sentient life forms hidden among them, but a shadow suddenly blocked the lightened corridor on the other side of the door. It took only a further second to see who it was. Knock Out stopped so violently that he almost dropped the orb. The humans cried out, but he almost did not notice.

"Soundwave!" he gasped.

Quickly, Knock Out got back into gear, but he did not get far before a portal was suddenly thrust in front of them. Soundwave leapt right behind them. With another gasp Knock Out clutched the orb to his chest. He knew that the only reason why he was not in excruciating pain or offline already was because Soundwave did not want to risk killing the humans if he could help it. The portal, now behind him as he turned to face the silent and deadly adversary as stolid in his stance as a lifeless machine, moved steadily after him, forcing Knock Out towards him with the portal, and as he clenched his teeth and winced, Knock Out had nothing to say.


	15. Jesters and Duals

JMJ

FIFTEEN: JESTERS AND DUALS

Suddenly Soundwave was distracted, and it was before Knock Out heard or saw anything besides the portal to some far reaches of the universe or the disturbing intensity of the unmoving Soundwave. But Soundwave jerked and lashed out with one of his already outstretched snaking tentacles towards the oncoming Wheeljack. It was close, but he did not hit him. Either way, the portal had vanished, and Knock Out was able to make his escape.

The children looked back to try see how Wheeljack fared against arguably the deadliest Decepticon ever to fight in the War, but Knock Out only aimed for the next door. He nearly slammed into it, as he reached it, but kept himself steady. Then swiftly moving the orb to one arm, he took off a panel on the wall to try to hotwire the door open.

"Come on! Come on!" he urged himself through his teeth.

"You got it!" cried Raf as the door swirled open.

"Alright, now let's go!" Knock Out said. "We don't want to find out how many other Decepticons are running around in this place before we get you to the _Jackhammer_."

He glanced behind him; though there was now a great bulk of a creature in a goopy cage in the way of Soundwave and Wheeljack. Both were still fighting and keeping their own by the sound of them, and he backed up into the corridor a pace or two slowly.

But Knock Out was quite distracted by a sound coming from the corridor. He was just turning around and the humans were just trying to warn him (for otherwise Miko would have been trying to get him to help Wheeljack) when suddenly he collided with someone else in his way.

Although Knock Out let out a growl of surprise by the encounter, he was not in the least surprised by _who_ he encountered nor was he who was the encountered surprised to see Knock Out, at least not for more than a few seconds.

Starscream had just turned a corner in the corridor after sending a missile or two back at the Raptor-bots who had less liking for the second intrusion than the first. Sensing the ill purposefulness of these sinister flights, they did not know they were followers of Lockdown's client. They knew only Megatron by sight. Of course, it was debatable all around whether the Raptor-bots had liking even for their master or his foolish recruits but were somehow tricked or forced into his service. For Dinobots were not known for working for such disturbing people. For that matter, they were not known at all anymore being thought to have been all destroyed some time in the war when they had decided to help the Autobots much to the grieving of Optimus Prime at the time.

But all this was quickly forgotten by Starscream as he left the living Raptor-bots to lick their wounds and for the encounter with Knock Out as he rammed right into his arm guard car door.

After the initial pause, Starscream quickly straightened himself and said with sneering pleasantness, "Ah, Knock Out. There you are, playing with the humans! I might have known with your passion for Earth vehicles and racing their drivers. If you start playing with them, you'll eventually forge a spot for them."

"What do you want, Screamy?" Miko could not help but snap.

Starscream only graced her with a brief and condescending smirk before returning to Knock Out with a good snicker.

"She has a point, Starscream," Knock Out said with a casual smile and a careless shrug. "It's quite unorthodox for Decepticon reinforcements to be here to help Lockdown who's hardly a defender of the illustrious Decepticon Cause."

"I'm surprised you're here at all without your legion of Vehicons too!" added Miko.

" _Miko_!" hissed Jack.

But this time Starscream did not react to her.

"It's not for Lockdown's sake, I assure you," said Starscream rolling his hand about in his animated fashion, and he swept his feet to one side in the motion of some queer insect; his wings slid about as well to better form the insect-like imagery. "But that does not change the fact that everyone's been unsurprised by _your_ actions of late, Knock Out. After all, in rescuing charming little Miko and her friends, I suppose you want further proof to Bulkhead that you are—how did you put it now?" (Here he tapped his chin thoughtfully) "—'good at being good' now that you have 'good role models' at your disposal."

He had been unalarmed until this point at which Knock Out somewhat staggered; though afterwards it would not take him long to figure out how Starscream could have overheard things back on Cybertron. It did nothing to ease the sting, however. and the anger that his personal life had been violated either way and by Starscream, no less. And as much as Starscream liked to talk and to mock for the sake of it, this last bit had been a purposeful distraction in order to fire at him without Knock Out being prepared enough to shield himself and keep the orb. Starscream reached a claw out for it to snatch it away immediately.

Angrily Knock Out reached for the orb to snatch it back while he shoved Starscream aside, but Starscream's digits still fumbled for it, so that both he and Knock Out both lost the orb. It fell. They both tried to catch it, and although they made the landing on the floor a little better for the people inside, neither of them actually had it in their clutches before it landed and rolled away. In trying to recapture it the two Cybertronians were soon fighting on the floor for it clawing, kicking and banging each other with growling rage that had been between them since before Knock Out's exit from the Decepticons.

Although shaken and miserable, Jack urged the other two up, shaking Raf's shoulder and pulling Miko up by the arm. Miko was trying not to lose the already disgusting lunch that Swindle had served them earlier, and Raf looked as though his limbs had become noodles, but Jack would not let them pause for long.

"Come on," he said. "We got to get away from this."

This was especially true since Starscream had managed to wriggle to the forefront out of Knock Out's grasp. As the little worm he was he was exceptionally good at such wriggling and at kicking people in the face.

" _Rah_!" Knock Out growled, and he could not help but think of the scrape Starscream had left on his face and helm with his ugly foot.

"Now!" Jack ordered.

And the gleefully sniggering Starscream was just about to snatch the orb when the humans began to push it forward down the corridor just to miss his swiping claws. His digits clasped nothing but air, and he had no opportunity to try again, for the sound of Knock Out's electro staff had him leaping away onto his feet within seconds along with a proper Starscream scream. He was just Cybertronian inches away from tripping over the ball rather than grabbing it, and as he collided with the wall in his escape from electrocution, he began to fire his laser at Knock Out, but Knock Out was plenty ready for it.

"There! Intruders!"

"Huh?" Both he and Starscream temporarily forgot their fight as they looked up at the Raptor-bots racing after them from behind them in the corridor.

And to Knock Out's relief they were more interested in attacking Starscream.

Knock Out swooped forward and snatched up the ball as he raced as fast as he could down the corridor and around a corner to where he knew a waste hatch of some sort would be waiting for him. He would slip through the chute and land on top of the _Jackhammer_.

He would have much rather driven there, but the orb was too large and round to carry successfully in a small automobile even the one Knock Out preferred. He reached the door to the small waste chamber and tried desperately to hotwire the door.

Just as he managed to get it open, he heard Starscream's missiles firing at the Raptor-bots, and his jet started up. Within seconds he was on top of Knock Out. Then the missiles were launched again.

He ducked, just in time clutching the ball very hard and squeezing his optics shut for a second or two. He and the humans were unharmed. The missile damaged the door.

It was already open, and it sizzled and sparked at the frame, but even as Knock Out shoved his way through, he knew he would not reach the chute and open its hatch before Starscream fired at them again. Certainly, he could not reach it before Starscream could simply follow them through and out into space. And he could fly after them and shoot them off so that Quickshift could not save them from becoming easy targets for the gleeful wasp, because Starscream could fly and Knock Out unfortunately could not, and whether or not the _Jackhammer_ could fire at Starscream, he probably would still get ample chance to destroy Knock Out before darting away.

He did not have time to figure out another mode of action either, for he was quite right. Starscream transformed from his jet into robot-mode with speed rather impressive as he landed in front the hatch. He held up an arm ready to use his missiles.

"Drop them, Knock Out!" snapped Starscream. "Or the kiddies will get hurt."

And he sneered very wickedly, for Knock Out had no projectile weapon and would not be able to reach him with his electro staff from the distance he had put between them, and Knock Out glowered.

Raptor-bots were scurrying through the corridor outside, but Starscream fired his laser at the control panel, in an attempt at locking them out. Although the door sparked a bit, it slid shut with little difficulty and locked. The angry cries and bangs from the Raptor-bots proved them unable to get in after them.

"And what exactly is this all going to accomplish anyway, Starscream?" Knock Out asked lightly then; he even smiled. "After all, Lockdown already knows where Bumblebee is."

"Any asset of the Autobots we can keep from them is good enough for me, including their human pets."

"Typical Decepticon babble," Knock Out shrugged. "What's _really_ going on here?"

Starscream laughed dryly. "Megatron's new rule for the better of all Cybertronians, of course! He's turned over a new leaf. Haven't you heard?"

"Has he now?" said Knock Out, trying to keep Starscream going long enough to think of a better plan. "I was under the impression that his lordshipfulness was giving up controlling the lives of others."

"Too true," Starscream admitted, the sarcasm in his voice ever growing. "I was witness to it, myself, you remember, but he has no intention of harming anyone with the exception of his 'eye for an eye' against Bumblebee. His only purpose is to complete his star-given destiny to bring peace and prosperity to his people to end the strife between Autobot and Decepticon. To bring us together."

"Sounds like he's gotten a few too many loose screws," chirped Knock Out pleasantly. "Too bad I'm not your doctor anymore. I might have been able to administer psychiatric advice for both you and your master."

Starscream raised his brows and lowered his lids, and he stood straighter than before and adjusted his missile hand ever so slightly. Knock Out's smile broadened.

"Yes," Starscream said. "That is a shame. You're advice was always ever so much appreciated by Lord Megatron." He then said in a graver tone, "Mock all you wish and grin all the wider. But your transformation isn't much saner, is it? Humbling yourself before everyone is only part one of the Autobot schemes to take full advantage of you, now that they have you picking up humans on board the ship of one of the deadliest assassins in the known universe. Unless you volunteered for the position, of course. Foolhardy courage is contagious among the followers of the late Optimus Prime, and might I say that after watching your frivolous game of playing Autobot I— _eh_?"

Starscream's optics lifted suddenly behind Knock Out, and despite himself, Knock Out turned to see, but not fast enough before the newcomer who had just come in through the door fired at him. It was Laserbeak. Neither Starscream nor Knock Out had noticed that the Raptor-bots had suddenly ceased to complain outside, and as Knock Out cried out and lost his grip on the orb he, Soundwave himself, having just come in through the broken door snatched the humans away. Laserbeak nestled back into position on Soundwave's chest. Two offline Raptor-bots lay on either side of the door.

"No!" cried Raf.

"What happened to Wheeljack!?" cried Miko.

Knock Out moaned, and blinked up from Starscream to Soundwave as he uncoiled just a little from where he crumpled up in his pain. Laserbeak's laser was more painful than most.

"I had him!" snapped Starscream like a pouty child. "I didn't need _your_ help! It's just Knock Out! Three _Vehicons_ could probably take him!"

Soundwave ignored him, or else he was leaving Starscream to finish Knock Out off. As soon as he had the humans he hardly graced Starscream with more than a brief glance before turning for his customary prompt and majestic exit from a job well done. Knock Out struggled to his feet, and although Starscream lifted his missiles again, Soundwave again took the initiative. Without looking back he merely stretched out a tentacle and slammed him again into the floor. Only then did he glance gracefully over his shoulder back at Knock Out.

Fear more than pain kept Knock Out from attempting to rise to his feet again; though the force of Soundwave's tentacle was enough to wrack Knock Out's flow of energon, and he was certainly disoriented for a few seconds at least. There was no way he could fight against Soundwave. He could barely fight against Starscream, truly, but this? He had seen what Soundwave was capable of, not to mention heard of his deeds during the war spoken about in whispers even through the Decepticon ranks.

Soundwave's warning stare, no doubt vacant even behind his visor, froze Knock Out onto the floor like a mouse before the hypnotic eyes of a snake, but he was very soon released. The clasping claws of the tentacle released their grip. The tentacle slithered back to its master, and Soundwave eyed Starscream rather dangerously. One could even sense the satisfaction he felt leaving Starscream slouching and sulking behind him, but just as he turned there was a powerful roar of an old but powerful jet engine, far more powerful than Skywarp's and far more aggressive.

Quickly, Soundwave leapt out of the way, but not quite fast enough to miss being struck by a missile at the feet from the Cybertronian jet rampaging through reminiscent of the days of Skyquake and Dreadwing. It was true Dreadwing and Skyquake were the more legendary and feared fighters, but had Jetfire not gone missing he might have been equal to them. Before anyone could recover from the shock or Soundwave recover from his sudden humiliating strike of pain, the jet transformed and tried to catch the ball that he was unaware had been in Soundwave's possession until this point. It landed on the floor, and the humans were in panic as they rolled right towards the feet of Starscream.

But Starscream evidently had forgotten all about them. Had his face been flesh, all the color would have faded. As it was, his optics flashed to their widest and his teeth showed in the tightest and distorted clench. He looked as though he was seeing a ghost, but he knew perfectly well who he was looking at. The prematurely aged appearance did nothing to hinder Starscream's recognition, nor cause him to fear him less. In fact at some strange psychological level it made him look more fearsome and more ghostlike to the addled, paranoid mind of Starscream. It was as though Jetfire was some phantasm of judgment back to enact vengeance upon Starscream for all the deeds Starscream knew were foul lying bare upon his guilty spark.

" _Jetfire_!" he wailed.

There was no making fun of _Jetfire's_ decision to take up fighting for the Autobots. Immediately Starscream transformed and sailed as fast as he could over everyone's heads giving Knock Out a chance to scramble forward and snatch the ball back up for himself.

"Get through!" Jetfire roared to Knock Out. "I'll hold off Soundwave!"

Knock Out did not dare argue. But quickly voiced the affirmative and hurried to the computer.

Soundwave lashed out towards Knock Out again. Knock Out practically shrieked, but Jetfire fought as he said he would. Seconds later, he was not alone either, for Wheeljack suddenly appeared to stab Soundwave in the back. Wheeljack looked hurt, true, but not too severely that he could not still fight. He was blocked by the agile Soundwave, however, though, Soundwave was now plenty occupied.

Knock Out opened the hatch and dove out clutching the hamster ball. He closed his optics hoping that the _Jackhammer_ would be there once he dropped out into space.

 _CLANG!_

He opened his optics and released a sigh of relief to find the metal under his feet.


	16. Earthbound Quarry

JMJ

SIXTEEN: EARTHBOUND QUARRY

"Skywarp!" snapped Starscream as he suddenly saw him in his small Cybertronian jet flying towards him; he too was still in jet mode and had not quite made it out of Lockdown's ship. "Where have you been? You should've been helping us instead of taking excursions around the _Knight_!"

"I _was_ helping," retorted Skywarp with a sniff as he paused to hover in front of Starscream.

Starscream had to admit that Skywarp did have a few scrapes and bruises along the sides. Jetfire's doing, he guessed.

"They're trying to get out through a small hatch back there. We'll go out the other side and stop them in case they manage to get away from Soundwave!" said Starscream.

"You're not the commander anymore," said Skywarp rather bored in tone.

"I have the experience to know how these things work!" snapped Starscream bristling. He had actually almost forgotten he no longer held his precious title.

Skywarp did not answer.

"Come on!" Starscream snarled and swooped around precariously close to Skywarp, forcing him to back up a little.

That little bit of spite made Starscream feel a little better but it did not appease his wrath as he flew out towards the main hatch. Skywarp followed quickly but unconcerned behind.

#

" _Come on, Knock Out! Get in_!" Quickshift called him through his communicator. " _Where are the others_?"

"Uh…" Knock Out said glancing up at the chute.

 _BOOOM!_

In a sudden panicked cry, Knock Out felt his digits losing grip on the ball from the explosion just above his head. He might have lost it. Already the humans were crying out in the terror of hurtling into space, but just as he lost the ball, another hand grabbed it.

It was Wheeljack's, interestingly enough riding on top of Jetfire from the chute to the hatch of the _Jackhammer_.

"Wheeljack!" cried Miko clenching her fists together in her excitement. "I knew you'd be alright."

Wheeljack gave a grunt that was too sharp to be considered a laugh; though he was smiling with amusement. He looked quite battered up, and there was a little drip of energon at the side of his mouth, but he was not beaten and that was the important thing.

"The humans okay?" asked Quickshift after the hatch was opened.

"Yeah," said Jack, and Raf nodded smiling though wearily.

"We're okay," Raf assured him. "Just a little shook up."

"Of course they are," retorted Wheeljack grinning. "I wasn't about to return to Bumblebee and Bulkhead without them being okay, right, Miko?"

"Oh yeah! Now that we escaped in the best rescue mission ever!" Miko said after Wheeljack brought them inside; though she too looked just as shook up as the others and collapsed in the ball exhausted now that they were safe and sound with the Autobots.

Jetfire transformed back into robot-mode and Knock Out leapt in last of all with a last quick glance up at the chute.

"What did you do, actually get away with blowing the scrap out of Soundwave?" asked Knock Out lightly as the hatch shut behind him.

Instead of answering Wheeljack handed the ball back to Knock Out, and took over controls of the ship.

"Guess we're in a hurry," grinned Knock Out to the humans.

"I can't believe we got away with it!" exclaimed Quickshift, almost as excited as Miko except unlike Miko he had energy to spare that had been on hold in his anxiousness before the others returned to him. "I knew this was going to be intense with a Wrecker in charge of this!"

"Of course," Miko said smiling rather weakly as she punched the air. "That's Wrecker style! Quick and destructive."

Jetfire who was a little less battered than Wheeljack, turned sharply to Quickshift and said, "And the intensity's not over yet, don't you blink twice, Quickshift!" He turned bodily to look out the window as Wheeljack pulled towards Earth, and he pounded the floor with his staff. "Soundwave won't be killed by an explosion like that, if I know anything about him! Slicker than oil, that one! I've worked with him before. He was an escape artist then, and I've no doubt he is now, and there's still that cowardly scrap heap Commander Starscream and his sidekick Skywarp, and they gotta be—"

"They are," said Wheeljack suddenly.

Before anyone could say anything more a missile struck the _Jackhammer_ 's hull and shook everyone inside.

"Can't you fire back at them?" gasped Knock Out clutching the ball hard to his chest again.

"Working on it," Wheeljack assured him without looking back, but just as he was turning his little craft there was a very heavy clang outside, and everyone knew that neither Starscream nor Skywarp would be the one responsible; the firing ceased.

" _Wheeljack_!" Ratchet's voice suddenly came through the _Jackhammer_ 's communications. " _This is Ratchet. Bumblebee's just told me that Lockdown's probably coming back for the_ Knight _. Wheeljack, are you there_?"

"Well, that's what you call timing, isn't it?" muttered Knock Out with an untimely smile despite himself.

"I read you, Ratchet," Wheeljack grumbled.

It was too late to even cloak, and although he did not get a chance to speak to anyone else upon the subject, Knock Out had a feeling, as everyone else did anyway, that the one standing on the ship and had just taken out the guns was Lockdown. A small but piercing alarm went off, and suddenly a very dangerous laser-light could be seen through the ceiling slicing through to those inside like cutting through a sardine can.

" _Wheeljack_?" Ratchet called again.

"Take control!" Wheeljack suddenly said to Quickshift again.

Quickshift obeyed immediately and lunged for the controls.

"Wheeljack's busy, Ratchet!" said Knock Out taking the initiative to answer Ratchet since no one else was.

" _Knock Out? What's going on_?"

"Lockdown's already attacking!" cried Raf, close enough now to speak to Ratchet as well.

" _Oh, good, you got the humans!"_ gasped Ratchet with an audible sigh of relief, and then quickly asked, _"Can you shake him_?"

Knock Out glanced behind him frantically.

"Uh…! With difficulty I'm afraid!" he admitted.

"Wheeljack and Jetfire are working on it!" Quickshift butted in. "And Starscream and Skywarp aren't too far behind Lockdown either and possibly Soundwave!"

"Why, Ratchet?" demanded Knock Out butting back in himself. "Something good, I hope?!"

" _I got the bridge up and running enough to bridge you back to Earth_!" Ratchet told him.

As soon as the hole in the ship was opened to the head of Lockdown, Wheeljack and Jetfire fired. Of course, it was difficult to fire when that head being aimed at suddenly transformed its face into a great gun itself, and Lockdown's face-gun fired inside.

Everyone leapt back like minnows leaping from a rock thrown into their wake, and the force of the blast shoved them against the sides of the craft even further.

" _Do you read_?" Ratchet called again; his voice sizzling over the communications. " _Hello_?"

No one was hurt, but there was a sizzling hole at the bottom of the ship, and the whole ship was starting to fritz.

Knock Out still had the ball clutched under his arm, but he was sprawled on the floor like Quickshift and Jetfire. Only Wheeljack was still standing, and only because he hung onto the wall in the right spot.

"Grenade him!" screamed Miko as before Knock Out could recover from the shock of the event Lockdown readied his gun to fire again.

"He's too close!" the two boys told her almost at once. "Too close to the ship!"

"I got an idea," murmured Quickshift then struggling to his feet.

Jetfire apparently had one too and leapt out of the ship. He transformed violently into Lockdown's head unexpected enough to push him back, but Lockdown still had a hold of the ship. Once out in space Jetfire fired at Lockdown. Lockdown used another gun in his hand to fire back. He could multitask quite well, apparently. Wheeljack fired from inside the ship, but they had to remove Lockdown enough to get through a portal without bringing Lockdown with them or possibly Starscream and Skywarp watching with interest just close enough to interfere if they had to.

Skywarp, in fact, just then made his move to fire at the emerging Jetfire. Starscream, not wanting Skywarp to take any credit that might belong to him, braved facing the irrational fear that had taken hold of him earlier because of Jetfire and fired at him as well. So Jetfire was soon fighting them more than Lockdown; though he did not leave close proximity to the _Jackhammer_.

While this was happening, Wheeljack continued to fire from the inside up at Lockdown as Lockdown fired a second time with his great face-gun blasting another hole in the ship, and this time the blast took more out of Wheeljack than he was able to take and still fight.

This was also when Quickshift decided to perform his impulsive scheme, and although Knock Out decided he had better figure out how to help too while still holding onto the humans, he called out after Quickshift: "What are you doing?" Naturally Quickshift did not answer.

He leapt to right under where Lockdown was standing and as he was getting the phase shifter ready, Knock Out then understood. It may not be glamorous, but he knew the best way he could help would be to alert Ratchet still trying to contact them, the second Lockdown was off the ship, he was call him, and perhaps Jetfire too and first.

" _Jetfire_ ," he hailed his personal communicator. " _You might want to_ g _rab onto the_ Jackhammer."

And Quickshift, grabbing a grenade himself from the stash, leapt up to shift right through the ceiling and trip Lockdown. Surprisingly it worked well enough since he was so occupied with Wheeljack, who although quite injured, finally fired in a place that hurt so that his face wasn't sticking into the ship. Wheeljack was also aware of Quickshift's doings by now too, and once Lockdown had been sufficiently shoved from the ship, there was not one but two grenades sailing towards him, and Jetfire was just grabbing onto the ship.

All this was happening so fast that Knock Out almost did not tell Ratchet in time, for although the grenades had sufficiently distracted Lockdown now far detached from the ship, he was about to _swack_ them back towards them.

"Ratchet! Now!" Knock Out cried.

A portal opened, and Knock Out thrust the throttle as far forward as it would go without being in warp drive, and in they sailed. Immediately he threw them the other way so that they would not crash into Earth on the other side. The grenades zoomed after them now, but as soon as the _Jackhammer_ was inside Ratchet closed the portal in case another person was following. The only things close were the grenades, and the portal shut just in time to block them out. They exploded harmlessly in space.

Starscream, Skywarp, and Lockdown barely felt the effects of the blast as they watched their enemies escape without a trace.

#

"Something to give to the name of the phase shifter, after all!" exclaimed Quickshift even before they reached the other side of the portal.

"Quick shifting from Quickshift," Wheeljack could not help but comment with a smile; though he looked pretty hurt by this time.

"Ha!" said Knock Out.

"Smokescreen should be pleased," Wheeljack added.

Quickshift's face fell however to see Wheeljack in such bad shape, but there was little time at the moment to do anything about it as they appeared on the other side of the portal.

" _Yah_!" cried Knock Out who was suddenly left to try to try to stop the ship from crashing into wall in the base hanger and still with the ball under one arm. He squeezed his optics shut as he tried to turn, but he realized that the ship was still sliding towards the wall without power. The ship grated the wall noisily and crunched some of the _Jackhammer's_ side Knock Out knew with his experiences with such things on a personal level, but finally they stopped.

Then all was silent save the hissing and sizzling of the nearly mangled _Jackhammer_ and the panting of everyone trying to cool themselves down after such a harried escape.

"We made it," whispered Miko.

Having just dared to open his optics, Knock Out found himself staring through the cracked window of the _Jackhammer_ out at a corner in the hanger. Although not usually pessimistic for long spurts of time, Knock Out had to admit that he still could not believe that they were all in one piece.

At that moment he did hear even the still living Jetfire slide off the outside of the ship.

A little wobbly, Quickshift opened the hatch. It practically fell open upon release.

"Ooo!" said Quickshift wincing and twiddled his fingers in front of himself uneasily before turning again to Wheeljack.

Wheeljack shrugged wearily. "It can be fixed."

"Is everyone alright in there?"

Everyone looked up in surprise.

It was Bumblebee and at once everyone brightened to see him. Bulkhead was right behind him followed by Ratchet.

"Bumblebee!" gasped Raf.

"Bulkhead!" cried Miko trying to get to her feet inside the ball but she stumbled a little and would have fallen over had Jack not caught her.

Knock Out's optics suddenly bounced, for he had almost forgotten about the humans despite still holding their ball.

"I believe we're alright, President Bumblebee," said Jetfire since he was in front of everyone else and he turned around briefly at the others now making their way out of the hatch. "That was quite the narrow escape!"

"Well!" Knock Out remarked to the humans then. "You had better step outside and tell Mr. President for yourselves how you are."

Setting the ball on the ground outside the _Jackhammer_ he opened it up and stepped back like a boy opening a bug trap to watch a moth or cricket jump out. All three of them were as wobbly kneed as though they had just come off a stormy sea without gaining sea legs while on board a sailboat, but their faces were so relieved despite looking tired that he knew they were just fine, and he smiled pleased with himself for having succeeded in rescuing them.

Miko used every last reserve to run to Bulkhead and with eyes squeezed shut she collapsed exhausted on his foot before he could lean down towards her.

"Take it easy there, Miko," he said gently; though he was smiling to see her. "Don't hurt yourself."

He knelt down (careful not to move the foot she was on) and reaching out a digit he touched her shoulder ever so delicately and tenderly. She hardly moved she was so tired, and it was not until Bulkhead sufficiently saw her smile that he relaxed himself.

"I think Wheeljack needs some attention!" said Quickshift suddenly.

Bulkhead looked up again and saw the state of his friend.

Immediately Ratchet's attention went to Wheeljack who was indeed looking barely able to keep himself upright despite trying to appear better than he was.

"I been worse, doc," Wheeljack insisted, but he did not resist being helped away by Ratchet.

"You too, Jetfire," said Ratchet. "You don't look so good either, and we can't stick around here for much longer."

"Nonsense!" exclaimed Jetfire pounding the ground with his staff. "A few blast marks are nothing that won't heal on their own. I've recovered myself from such wounds. If we're in a hurry, there'll be no time for that! I don't care if I have to fight 'til I drop!"

"Forget it, Jetfire," said Wheeljack. "There's no use fighting it. If Ratchet says he needs to have a look at you, he needs to have a look at you. It'll save more time just coming. Besides, we don't want you to fight 'til you drop."

Jetfire flustered a little, but after some indecipherable grumblings he relented.

"And also the Decepticons may not have always taken such precautions," added Knock Out rather cheekily, "but that's how the Autobots can fight outnumbered."

"That's not helping, Knock Out," said Ratchet even though Jetfire was not paying the least bit attention to him.

"But, Ratchet?" asked Raf suddenly sounding quite small surrounded by such giants, and he was in Bumblebee's hand now too. "Why do we have to leave again so soon? What's happening?"

"Bumblebee will have to fill you in," said Ratchet.

"There's at least time to rest first," said Bumblebee looking with pity upon the humans; Jack was still standing on the ground. "There's a loft," he told them. "Not as nice as the one you were used to, but it's out of the way, and we do have some food left over from when you were trying to bring it here with Knock Out from what Ratchet said."

"We'll be alright," Jack assured him.

"I'm not that hungry," said Raf.

"But we should have a rest first," Jack added.

He looked as though he hated to admit it, but just like Jetfire and Wheeljack, he had to allow himself and Miko and Raf time to recuperate.

Bulkhead now urged Miko gently to her feet and all three children were lifted to the loft without having to use the stairs.

Knock Out could not help but think, however, that although sometimes the Decepticons and others like them may have not benefitted from not taking certain medical precautions, sometimes it did. Sometimes it was the edge they needed, he recalled mildly, but it remained mild for now. There was no need to alarm himself or anyone else with such thoughts that everyone probably knew anyway.

He simply was too relieved himself and in need of a rest with his buffer to dwell on negative thoughts, and there were many that he could be dwelling on including how Soundwave must have recorded their doings on Cybertron while between dimensions. Right now he just wanted to focus on the fact that he had succeeded in saving the humans and that the bridge was complete. That meant that Ratchet probably already told the others on the Cybertronian side how to fix the space bridge on their end, the stronger end, and he and the others on Earth could go home soon.

"Thank you for saving us," said Jack suddenly to everyone and anyone who happened to be listening; it simply burst out of him then.

"We weren't going to let you stay captive aboard the _Knight_ ," said Wheeljack.

The base was small, especially out of the hanger. Everyone could hear everyone else.

"By the look of things it would have been a long captivity too," remarked Knock Out beaming, "and you're very welcome, Jack!"

"More than welcome!" piped up Quickshift.

Jetfire bowed to the humans, perhaps a bit on the melodramatic side, but then most Cybertronians had little concept of the human idea of melodrama.

Knock Out felt that he understood the concept; though even his idea of melodrama was not nearly as cynical as many humans. It simply made everything they did (whether good or evil) appear more frank and perhaps more childish despite their vast size and powerful voices like some strange cross between Tolkien's Dwarves and Ents.

"We were honored to rescue you, little humans!" Jetfire assured Jack. "And for myself, I must confess it was one of the most worthwhile things I have ever done in all my life."

Jack grinned, and he could not help the small laugh.


	17. Unpleasant Complications

JMJ

SEVENTEEN: UNPLEASANT COMPLICATIONS

Very heavily did Lockdown land upon the floor of the command deck. Most of the controls were ruined. Some of the creatures in the holding bay had escaped. The Raptor-bots were feeling rebellious too. As Lockdown strolled emotionlessly up to the nearest usable computer screen (and even this one was on the fritz) he did not seem to pay any attention to anything around him in the least, nor did he appear aware of the presence of Dead End and Swindle just coming out from where they had been hiding.

Dead End and Swindle knew the hunter better than that, however. They knew that he was perfectly aware of their presence. He could probably smell their fear.

As Lockdown mildly looked over the damage to his ship, Dead End and Swindle looked at each other nervously. Neither one of them dared to speak; both had a look of terror in their optics stronger than their nervousness. Their memories played for them with clear sensitivity the day Sideways was sent out into space to starve to deactivation in a floating eternal abyss.

Lockdown did not need them. He had always made that clear. They needed him. They provided only convenience that could be easily done without or replaced.

At last Lockdown looked up from the screen, turned to his lackeys and without a word he demanded their report with a flicker of his optics.

Dead End and Swindle jumped, and again they exchanged awkward glances.

After a brief pause Dead End let out a cough and not daring to step an inch further from where he stood said, "We were outnumbered, Boss, and…"

"We weren't built for that kind of fighting, Boss, with all due respect," added Swindle quickly and fidgety.

Dead End winced and hunched over toad-like. He was already rather built a bit like a toad.

"That's why we considered ourselves conscientious objectors in the first place," Swindle added further, "and wanted nothin' to do with that war, but now they just brought the war to us!"

Dead End kicked him roughly.

"Hey?" Swindle growled.

"Conscientious objectors?" Dead End demanded.

Lockdown snorted with amusement. He was looking at the both of them now, and leaning back leisurely like a predator waiting for the right moment without appearing to be doing so, and this made both Dead End and Swindle shudder.

"'Cowards' might be a better term," said Lockdown, his voice capacitator carried on it a sort of foreign tone from all his time away from his race, an accent that bespoke of thick, vast, dark jungles where everything ate everything with violence and bodily fluids, a place where not even a vine or a twig could be trusted. The very ground beneath your feet could be a trap. "You have nothing against conflict. That is all your lives have been since I more than generously offered you a chance to live and prove your worth to me since you tried to 'salvage' energon and weapons from my vessel. I have met conscientious objectors. Some have more courage than most who claim to live for war, when such conscientious objectors are forced to show it for either life or love." He chuckled dryly to himself, as though the very idea of love was of the most pathetic excuse and that he was beyond such things. "But you are not conscientious objectors."

"He's sorry, Boss," Dead End piped. "His vocabulary banks have been somewhat skewed ever since that eel beast tried to make its nest inside his head."

"No!" exclaimed Swindle afraid that even this might be seen as weakness to their predatory master. "I knew what I said, but I'm sorry, Boss, if what I said annoyed you."

Lockdown stepped towards them then, and the pair shuddered the more at his approach. They cowered before his height, bulk, and keen optics, but though, he drew very close, only his shadow passed over them. They sighed with relief, but that relief was too soon released, for no sooner had they let their guard down when there was the sound of a singing blade sweeping through the air, a death song, for it resulted in the instant severing of Swindle's head from his body. So swift was the action that Swindle was offline before he knew what had happened.

So fast was the action that Dead End did not know what had happened either until he heard the clattering of metal upon the floor and the body of his companion falling lifeless at his feet. He let out a gasp and jumped back.

"Whether courageous or cowardly," remarked Lockdown quite emotionlessly as he wiped the energon from his blade like a scientist wiping a lens, "he forgot that even those who do not fight still often meet their end bitterly."

Feeling rather ill, Dead End forced himself to nod.

"You couldn't even alert me to the situation in your cowardliness so that Megatron in his usual passion felt the need to gallantly come to the rescue with what's left of the cavalry?"

"It won't happen again, boss!" whimpered Dead End looking down at the dimmed optics of Swindle staring out at nothing now.

"For your sake," Lockdown muttered lightly, "you had better hope so. In the hunt, only the strong survive." He paused. "And speaking of his royal highness, he seems to be hailing me. Go answer it."

Dead End bowed humbly. "Sure thing, Boss. Uh, what about…" He looked once more at the remains of Swindle.

"Does it disturb you?" Lockdown shrugged.

#

"So you mistook Jetfire for a Prime," muttered Skywarp.

Starscream leered at that bored expression on Skywarp's face. He hated that Skywarp did not even crack a smile half the time when he made fun of him. He hardly flinched. It made Starscream bristle the more both inside and out to think that it was possible that Skywarp was simply so dull that he may not be making fun of him at all, but that he would never know for sure.

"I'm beginning to remember why I hate you," Starscream said in a very dark tone.

Skywarp raised his brows lightly but said nothing more.

" _You_ did not stop them from taking the humans either, I recall," Starscream added trying to sound cool and cruel, but his flustered state could not be hidden nor did Skywarp seem to care; though there was the faintest trace of a smile at the corner of his mouth at last.

Soundwave had just relayed the events aboard the _Knight_ to Megatron, and Megatron, without much to say upon the subject of their failure to keep the humans, took it upon himself to have Shockwave hail Lockdown.

Lockdown, though they all knew him to be aboard his ship, was slow in answering.

"It is highly possibly, my lord, that the _Knight's_ communications are down," said Shockwave.

"Try a little longer, Shockwave," said Megatron. "Our next move must be implemented immediately, and it requires Lockdown's cooperation." And as to show proof of his impatience he began to pace like a caged beast biding his time with his arms thrown behind his back.

Not seconds later Lockdown appeared on screen.

"Something you wish to say, Megatron?"

Megatron's face contorted just a little, for he did not like Lockdown's tone, but he quickly smoothed it out again—as much as his hard crumpled face could be smoothed.

"Yes," said Megatron. "You seem to have lost your touch, Lockdown. I remember your ability in setting heads on my table being much more reliable."

Lockdown smiled dangerously, but Megatron was not impressed.

"And this head is smaller than most I've asked for," said Megatron. "One would think I asked for the head of a Prime."

Starscream glanced at Skywarp, and Skywarp pretended not to notice.

"And?" asked Lockdown.

"I've alerted the masses on this pathetic planet, and they have found the location of their base. It was sanctioned by humans so it can easily be found by them," Megatron said, "and of course, they do have friends in the government, one in particular, who will be alerting them to this, so speed as you can imagine, is of the essence."

"You want me to go down for a massacre?" asked Lockdown. "More heads will require more pay. I'm a bounty hunter not your henchman, though I understand you are in desperate need of better ones."

"The only head I want is Bumblebee's head," retorted Megatron. "No other. Who lives and who dies aside from him I do not care in the least! But you had better have his head this time or there is no deal, Lockdown."

Lockdown snorted. "I will go immediately…my _lord_."

"And there is one more reason why you need to do this quickly," said Megatron.

"Tell me. I'm in no mood for dramatic flairs."

"There will probably be humans there."

"Easily dealt with," said Lockdown.

Now it was Megatron's turn to smile. "We shall see. They are New MECH, and now that the base has been discovered by others, I know they will not be far behind."

"As I said, easily dealt with," Lockdown insisted. "You will have your prize before the next earth solar cycle."

The screen went out with zero pleasantries.

Starscream looked thoughtful a moment as Megatron made to withdraw. Then straightening himself and throwing one hand behind his back he stepped up in front of Megatron and made a sweeping bow. His smile was broad as he closed his optics with reverence.

"Lord Megatron," said Starscream, and he lifted himself up again with optics gleaming as he looked up like an eager puppy at his lord and master. "Allow me to survey the events!"

"Starscream, you are fortunate you are still functioning at all after the utter incompetence and paranoia you have shown me since our reunion, don't test me with a renewal of your little games too."

"I function still only to serve, Master!" Starscream assured him, "and I believe that this New MECH should be dealt with before they have time to interfere with Lockdown's mission. I have experience with MECH that others don't which I gained during my unfortunate exile, for which I am most ashamed, but I am begging you, Master, to allow me a chance to prove my worth again to you."

Megatron leered a warning.

"If they do happen to capture one of the— _ahem_ , one of Optimus' devotees—or worse Lockdown," Starscream continued, "they will use their new mind control device, which I understand from my own little research over their communications network, is quite operational and dangerous. It should be destroyed before they get the chance to use it."

"And if you believe that Lockdown could be in danger of capture, what makes you willing to risk yourself in this venture?" Megatron demanded. "You've never been one for self-sacrifice, Starscream, nor do I particularly desire one of my longest-running supporters in the war, whether with dubious loyalty or not, to be under the control of humans with all the knowledge you possess and could tell them under influence of such a device."

Starscream grinned and bowed again to hide a stifled chuckle. "I do not plan to engage the nasty insects in a hope for truce, master! The only engagement I suggest is aerial extermination of the pests should they appear on the scene. Partly, I'll admit, it is for personal revenge. Stealth is one of my virtues I need not remind you, however. It's one of the reasons you stationed me as your first lieutenant before we were above such things…I mean I know, you said that the only deactivation was to be Bumblebee's, but surely the destruction of these flesh creatures is for the good of the universe at large. Think of the consequences should MECH gain the ability to take their terror into the cosmos. They'll stop at nothing to reach that goal and bring a reign of terror to all in their path, and at least one day they could become a pestilent threat to your soon otherwise mirific reign on Cybertron."

And here he presented what he thought to be a charming little hopeful grin, which made Megatron's frown deepen.

Yet after a moment of thought, Megatron consented.

"You are given leave for your work of charity," scoffed Megatron, "and Skywarp will accompany you."

"You are most gracious, Lord Megatron!" exclaimed Starscream with further theatrics as he bowed one last time to his master.

He had suspected he would not be able to go alone, and he was already irritated with Skywarp, but it was far better to have Skywarp than Soundwave accompany him. He was at least thankful for that; though not nearly as thankful as he was for his gift for buttering up Lord Megatron. When he turned to Skywarp, Starscream's satisfaction grew quite petty as he saw that Skywarp did not look at all pleased to hear about this sudden new mission so soon after their first.

"With all due respect, my lord," said Skywarp with a far less theatrical but more sincere bow in its minimalism, "shouldn't we be in best form before fighting again?"

"You've been away from conflict far too long, Skywarp," Megatron retorted. "Your wounds are miniscule compared to those even you have received before we lost contact with you. Shockwave has already seen to you, and laziness will not be tolerated."

"Yes, my lord," said Skywarp with another slight bow; his disappointment was obvious.

"Besides," said Starscream cheekily as Shockwave led them to the bridge. "You're not afraid of a few little humans way down below as we execute a small air raid, are you?"

But he did not know the immediate reaction of Skywarp to this query as he suddenly noticed the penetrating vacant gaze from a certain visor. Although inwardly Starscream shuddered, he hid it effectively behind a noxious sneer.

"Don't worry," he said, "I'm sure Lord Megatron will have other ways for you to make up for your failure aboard the _Knight_ as well. After all, you are his most trusted servant."

"Too true, Starscream," said Megatron loudly then. "Now get yourself into action and prove yourself to me before you start concerning yourself over anyone else."

"Of course, Master," said Starscream nervously and he promptly turned to Shockwave at the controls of the bridge. "Have us appear a few miles from the location of the base, Shockwave!"

Shockwave, unable to show much expression, paused with annoyance but did as he was told without a word. Starscream paid little heed. He knew that Shockwave was displeased about the situation as a whole not just with him even if he did care what Shockwave thought of his doings.

 _Lord Megatron is not himself_ , he thought merrily as he stepped through the portal with Skywarp beside him. _His mental stability is worse than it has ever been, and someone has to do something about it even it has to be his humblest servant Starscream. For his own good, of course, since he is unable to make decisions on his own. Poor pitiful fool, a broken champion among Cybertronians._

As he appeared on the other side and he heard and felt the bridge closing behind him, he could not help a chuckle.

"Revenge on the humans?" asked Skywarp lightly.

" _Hmph_!" Starscream said in response. "You'd want revenge on them too if they stole something important from you."

#

"Shockwave," said Megatron then. "Open the portal again far enough away so that Starscream isn't aware of it."

"Yes, Lord Megatron," said Shockwave.

"Soundwave," then said Megatron. "I want you to send Laserbeak. I want everything surveyed including Lockdown's activity."

Soundwave gave an obedient nod.

#

Curled up like a kitten, Miko woke from a hazy sort of dream in which she was having Knock Out live on the roof of her parents' apartment. She was even planning on taking him to school there in Tokyo, and she was explaining the best places to duck, while Knock Out teased that humans in Japan were smaller than humans in the US, and it would be more difficult than usual to try to fit in (he spoke in Japanese with her too). She teased him right back in saying that aside from Arcee and Bumblebee he was pretty small for a Cybertronian himself. It would have been a better dream if it had been Bulkhead or Wheeljack, but in her dream she had been anxious to make it work despite her parents not being too sure about her plans.

She quickly forgot all about it when she saw that what woke her was Ratchet coming out from behind the new makeshift wall that separated what served for the medical area from everywhere else. She could see over it anyway from the loft, and was pleased to see that Wheeljack was not unconscious.

"How is he?" she asked Ratchet.

"It could have been worse," said Ratchet.

"I knew he'd be alright after a tune up," said Bulkhead smiling.

"I think even I was worse after my fight," remarked Knock Out lightly.

"Everyone has been fortunate in that regard lately," said Ratchet, "but that doesn't mean we should push our luck. I just came out here to check on the progress with the bridge. If we can get out of here through it, we shouldn't have a problem."

"We could have done that," said Bumblebee. "You don't have to do everything, you know."

Ratchet paused and looked at Bumblebee with a puckered brow.

"And if they are having a problem, Knock Out probably knows what to tell them too," Bumblebee added with a shrug.

Knock Out looked up and almost appeared as though he just woke up from a dream himself. He turned to Ratchet with surprise but he soon smiled in his usual lazy-eyed manner.

"Yes, I've already explained to our esteemed and overworked medic that I'm quite capable of helping with a great many things."

"And Raf can help too, of course," added Miko quickly. "He's awake too!"

She held him by the shoulders as he was groggily putting on his glasses. He apparently was not quite awake; however, for he let out a gasp in surprise as Miko grabbed him, and he almost dropped his glasses.

"Uh, yeah," murmured Raf after recapturing them. "The bridge, right? Is that what we're talking about?"

"Yes," said Ratchet. He paused.

"Separating the tasks, right Ratchet?" teased Wheeljack from behind the wall.

Ratchet rolled his optics, but he was not uptight about it. "Right." Again he paused and said lightly back to Wheeljack, "You're supposed to be resting in there, you know."

"So what exactly is going on?" asked Jack of Bumblebee and Bulkhead once Raf and Knock Out started their call to Cybertron over the open bridge.

"Well," said Bulkhead, "Fowler just contacted Ratchet while we were all out, and told him that everyone is trying to hunt down this base, and Fowler thought they were getting too close for comfort."

"Where's he been anyway?" Miko demanded. "Why can't he do something about it?"

"That's what Megatron's been up to. He has the whole government network on your planet under his control," said Bumblebee. "And Fowler's been trying to stay low enough to find out what's going on and not be noticed."

"How's Megatron doing that?" asked Jack.

"Making false deals from his moon base with certain people in power, I guess," said Bumblebee.

"Is that why there were police, after us?" Miko asked.

Bulkhead made a face. "Police were after you?"

"That's what made it so hard to get here in the first place," said Miko. "It sure is hard keeping bases for us, isn't it!?" She looked annoyed. "And why does Megatron want Earth like that anyway? I thought he just wanted to cyberize it."

"Yeah," Jack agreed. "I was wondering about that ever since he showed up again."

"Bad news, folks!" interrupted Knock Out, suddenly turning from the bridge. "It's not quite up and running from their end, yet."

"How long do you think it'll take?" asked Bumblebee coming up to the open bridge himself now.

" _We don't know_ ," admitted Smokescreen echoing through the portal.

"If it cooperates, it shouldn't take more than an hour or so, I wouldn't think," said Raf.

" _Just hang in there_ ," said Arcee.

Bumblebee sighed impatiently, and Knock Out shrugged.

"Well, if someone's willing to test it," he suggested playfully.

" _Come on, Knock Out, be serious here_ ," said Arcee back at him. " _We're going to turn it off again on our end now, but as soon as we turn it on again, it'll mean we're finished_."

"Where's Ultra Magnus?" asked Miko suddenly.

" _In the hatchery_ ," said Smokescreen. " _That's what's been dragging this out. Everything's happening at once!_ "

As if to add to Smokescreen's lament, Quickshift suddenly appeared at the door. He transformed from his newly acquired motor scooter in bright orange and mustard yellow, and he looked frantic as he came through. He had been out for double look-out in case naked optics caught something that the computers did not, which apparently just happened.

"Mr. President!" he gasped. "I think we're already caught. Humans are driving all these uniformed vehicles—all black. They don't look like they're up to any good."

"How far away?" asked Bumblebee.

"They'll probably be here in a few minutes," Quickshift said.

"Maybe Megatron just wants the Autobots and the humans to finish each _other_ off, and that's what this is all about," Jack said exasperated.

Knock Out sneered with dry amusement, "From what Starscream said about him, I'm not sure if Megatron _knows_ what he wants anymore."

"You mean he's cracked?" Miko demanded.

"And about to shatter, I'm sure," grinned Knock Out. "That's what happens when too much harm comes to one brain. Some things just aren't fixed by physical repair."

Bulkhead looked at Bumblebee. "Maybe we should risk it now."

Sarcasm gone for the moment, Knock Out turned to Bumblebee and he could not help pitying him in his position as leader despite the growing fear of his own that they would soon be surrounded in a trap between choosing to follow Optimus' rules in not harming humans and keeping themselves from harm. This no doubt was Bumblebee's fear too, for if they did attack, they may just prove whatever lies Megatron (sane or not) told to the humans under his influence.

He glanced at the portal then after Arcee shut the bridge down. Those on the Cybertronian side would work as quickly as they could, he knew. All they had to do was buy some time.


	18. Chess Pieces on the Move

JMJ

EIGHTEEN: CHESS PIECES ON THE MOVE

Lockdown had circled the perimeter of non-digital based explosives and electrocution devices surrounding the base. Those humans were cleverer than he had first assumed with their diversion of vehicles to try to get them to come out and then have them trip the explosives, and it did make him smile. Though perhaps not clever enough, for the small Autobot that had raced back inside had by chance missed any of their traps as he leapt through the line. The fact that Lockdown had killed those humans lying in wait nearby made him smile a little more anyway.

Their vehicles were on the way, but he would have Bumblebee killed and his head taken with him half way through the atmosphere before their arrival with his head in hand if all went as planned. Though even if they did arrive, only their own blood would be spilled.

He turned to Dead End still examining the perimeter himself with interest.

"Set one of them off and then make yourself scarce," said Lockdown in a low dark voice, his smile now vanished to give him full hunt mode. "And only come out if you see that Bumblebee needs to be separated from the others. If you have judgment use it, otherwise I don't want to see your face until we're back aboard the _Knight_ after you release the Raptor-bots to take care of anyone that tries to interfere with my fight."

"Sure thing, boss," whispered Dead End.

#

"Call Fowler," said Bumblebee.

"We can't," said Ratchet reappearing on the scene. "He already told me that his communicating with us could jeopardize his ability to help us when he contacted me earlier."

"But we have to know who these people are. Are they from the US government?" asked Bumblebee.

"I doubt it," said Knock Out rather darkly.

"Why is that?" asked Wheeljack just coming out from behind Ratchet.

Jetfire was with him.

"Who said you could come out?" demanded Ratchet turning abruptly around to Wheeljack.

"If we're going to leave the base, it doesn't matter, does it?" said Wheeljack.

" _Ahem_!" Knock Out impatiently interrupted. "Excuse me. I hate to disrupt things, but the reason _I_ don't think they're from the government is because they look too much like MECH."

He returned to the screen on the computer, and the humans were the first to hop over to see the screen in particular that Knock Out was pointing too. A camera not far from the base showed them the armed vehicles driving towards the base. They were black and deadly, but the men inside did not even look like Black Ops. They bore, as Knock Out suggested, a striking resemblance to the men under the maniac Silas.

With a sudden haggard look about him, Knock Out felt himself bristle suddenly at the reminder of Silas: the human who not only first ruined Breakdown's life and then finished him off after Breakdown got himself killed by Arachnid, but who after taking his body not only stole it for research but used it to house what was left of his own nearly offline body.

Knock Out's brows tightened, and a sudden deep and painful hate snatched his spark and mind back to that night when he thought Breakdown was alive.

On his way down from the _Nemesis_ to get him, Knock Out had had a mind to treat him better. He felt confident that however damaged Breakdown was he would be alright if his signal was there however distorted. He had taken his friendship for granted before. Even when he first heard that Breakdown was offline, he had tried to tell himself that he had gotten along fine before Breakdown in that sad mad army called the Decepticons and he would be able to get along fine without him now, even if it did hurt a little, but he it was easier said than done. Breakdown's reemergence filled him with more relief than he had ever felt before.

After all, they had escaped to a paradise island on Earth together.

Knock Out would have been just fine with being a castaway like in those silly human films of being trapped on a tropical island. Breakdown had been starting to get bored towards the end and he had always been anxious for "rescue" and permission to get back into the action of the War, but Knock Out could have lived on Earth forever like that in his very own tropical oasis just like those two humanized animal characters in that stupid Disney movie.

He had hated it when he had to be dragged from that _Hakuna Matata_ back into "civilization" with the appearance of the _Nemesis_ above Earth even if Breakdown had been relieved. They had been allowed to continue their work of finding energon for a time without much interference, but Knock Out was even more annoyed when Starscream shanghaied him again into the full Decepticon service as a doctor.

In spite of such annoyance and disappointments, Knock Out had not realized until Breakdown had come back to life for those few moments how much more he missed having a friend than having his own secret island. How deadly the spike was driven into him the moment he realized that the Breakdown he had come to bring back aboard the _Nemesis_ to make life aboard its dull interior a little more tolerable, was not Breakdown but Silas in his empty shell.

Suddenly Knock Out was back with the Autobots. He had only been gone from the present for no more than a few seconds. No one had even noticed his absence, except maybe Jack who Knock Out noticed just then beside him staring up at him with concern.

" _Ahem_ ," said Knock Out again smoothing out his distorted facial features and looking away aloofly.

Ever since Silas' demise he had tried not to think about the events of Breakdown's, and normally he was very good at keeping thoughts away he did not want to surface, but he had been unprepared for the appearance of the new MECH. They had caught him off guard, but for now he could at least delve his mind into the conversation and the danger at hand.

"They're such a weak race. They can't possibly take us all in a fight even with their vehicles!" said Jetfire.

"It doesn't work like that," said Bulkhead. "Earth is more complicated than it looks, and besides it was the word of Optimus Prime that we harm no human."

"Even in self defense?" demanded Jetfire. "I understand trying to avoid casualties of such delicately built creatures where we take refuge, but surely the Prime couldn't've meant it foolishly if this MECH is indeed a threat as Knock Out is suggesting."

"Yeah!" agreed Quickshift nodding quickly.

Knock Out snorted.

"Optimus didn't mean anything foolishly," said Ratchet firmly and passionately, "but he did mean that no harm would come to the human race which has nothing to do with our conflict. Megatron is purposely dragging humans into our fight now, but our fight is not with the people of Earth, and Optimus would not risk the slightest chance of us abusing our strength against the place where we had taken refuge or any of its people whether they respected us or not, and I won't disrespect his word on this subject even if it did mean my termination."

While Ratchet was yet speaking Knock Out turned to Bumblebee who was at that moment making a decision. Bumblebee looked towards the entrance and just as Jetfire was about to apologize in saying he never meant disrespect against the Prime, Bumblebee suddenly moved towards it.

"I'll see for myself how it's going out there," he said.

But Bulkhead grabbed him by the shoulder and held him back.

" _Whoa, whoa_ , there, Mr. President," he said in full seriousness. "We can't just let our leader walk out there. You're not a scout anymore, remember? Lockdown's out for your head alone."

"He's right," said Wheeljack. "This has got to be some kind of diversion."

"I know," said Bumblebee trying to hide his impatience; his old impulsive ways were returned from all the action recently, "but—"

"Look at that!" said Miko then.

Everyone turned to her pointed finger thrust up towards the screen, and everyone was surprised to say the least to see four missiles firing right at two of the vehicles.

"Starscream?" asked Raf.

"And Skywarp too, I'd imagine," said Jetfire changing the screen a bit to look up.

Sure enough two jets, one very familiar to all present and the other, although now shaped like an Earth jet, was still colored black and purple.

"Why are they attacking if this is the diversion?" Jack demanded.

"To confuse us?" Miko suggested.

"If it was only Screamer, I'd say it was just him up to something, but I doubt Skywarp would follow his lead without Megatron's permission," Bulkhead pointed out.

"Something must not be going as planned," said Ratchet.

"What if MECH's not supposed to be here at all," said Raf. "Someone in the government I can I understand, but I can't picture Megatron counting on MECH for anything."

"Neither can I!" snapped Knock Out animatedly. "Not even if they weren't aware they were the diversion unless it's to destroy them too _and_ all of us. If Starscream and Skywarp are attacking them then good riddance, I say! At least we won't have to deal with them if we hightail out of here right now!"

Bulkhead eyed Knock Out strangely now too and there was a strong look of understanding in his gentle optics. He looked as though he was considering saying something to him, because he knew exactly what had gotten under Knock Out's casing, but now was not the time.

"We should hold out here as long as we can in case the bridge opens," said Ratchet, "and we can all leave at once. There's no good us separating if the bridge opens right after we leave."

"There's no use for us staying together if we're all just gunna get blown out of here at the same time," said Wheeljack dryly. "They _all_ know we're down here."

Miko scratched her head, "Maybe we should—" But she never got to finish, for it was just then that there was an explosion right outside their door.

"Too late!" cried Quickshift.

"Some of us have to use the ground bridge and get everyone away from here to give Arcee and Smokescreen time," said Bumblebee quickly.

"I'll go," said Bulkhead.

"Wheeljack can't," sharply cut in Ratchet as he started up the bridge.

Wheeljack rolled his optics.

"What about Jetfire?" Bumblebee demanded.

"If you need me, heir of the Primes, I'm ready for whatever you command!" Jetfire said.

"Jetfire," said Bumblebee. "You have to stay here and be the cannon if someone gets through. Quickshift, you're with Bulkhead and me. I need someone who can be quick just as much as I need someone who can be strong."

Jetfire humbly accepted his duty and Quickshift brightened at the opportunity to be lookout or whatever he needed to be, and bounded to Bumblebee's side.

"But—" Ratchet started to say, but Bumblebee was already heading through the portal.

"Lockdown's after me," said Bumblebee pausing briefly after a step or two inside. "If I'm not in here, that in itself will buy time. If someone Cybertron-side doesn't call, you have to do what you can here. If casualties must be taken on MECH's side it cannot be helped."

"Starscream and Skywarp are already taking care of that, anyway," said Wheeljack.

"Then be even more careful," said Bumblebee.

"Good luck, Mr. President!" Knock Out said with a grin.

Bumblebee looked surprised at first as though he had almost forgotten about Knock Out, but it was more likely just the sudden careless cheerfulness in Knock Out's tone, and Bumblebee smiled back. "Good luck to you here too," he said.

Miko wanted to come with Bulkhead, but Bulkhead would not hear of it, and while he told her to stay and help Wheeljack, Knock Out looked up thoughtfully and crossed his arms.

"I sure _hope_ there's such a thing as hero's luck," he muttered to no one in particular.

It was the thing that made this the winning team, was it not? He looked down again in time to see the portal closing up on the bridge.

#

Outside where Ratchet had dropped them, the first thing Bumblebee noticed as the first one out of the portal however was not MECH or Lockdown, or even Starscream, it was a very small slim shape rather staggered by their sudden appearance as it tried to flee them. It was Laserbeak.

At once Bumblebee fired and Bulkhead and Quickshift did the same.

They hit it a couple times, damaging it enough to get it out of the way. Laserbeak was too agile to get hit easily, but a third time they actually did manage to strike Laserbeak down.

Bumblebee looked around carefully, but Laserbeak seemed to be alone at the moment, and it could not fly away.

"The last thing we need is Soundwave to show up!" said Quickshift.

 _Tssww!_

Quickshift was almost struck, but he jumped to one side just in time. As the trio turned they saw immediately a larger but no less annoying little lackey than Laserbeak: the toady of Lockdown as he leapt into the greenery again, still firing as he went. Although they all knew that the little creep was only to distract them, Bumblebee did not turn quite in time to escape the strike of another weapon. Fast and silent it struck through him, and immediately he stumbled.

It was Lockdown. All his weapons were ready except the face gun (and he had many other), he was prepared to take on an army it seemed if only to take down Bumblebee. His red optics were aflame with a fury, exhibiting his sole purpose to end this once and for all. No one, no matter how big or how strong, was going to come between him and his prey, but Quickshift and Bulkhead were just as determined as they leapt in front of their wounded leader. No one would come between them and their friend, and Bumblebee, as he pulled himself back to his feet, was not quite out himself yet either.

"Come on," taunted Bulkhead. "Ya gunna take on all three of us?"

Lockdown shrugged. "I've been against worst odds," he told him mildly.

#

No one called from Cybertron. Those inside had no choice but to come out.

Few of MECH'S drivers were around to fight them outright. Those that could were trying to fight back with their missile launchers at Skywarp and Starscream that did not even get close to striking either of them. Bumblebee and Lockdown were nowhere in sight as Jetfire looked around cautiously. His optics widened in surprise to see circling round were the Raptor-bots, silently watching and waiting with tails shifting.

Jetfire observed them carefully. Then he fired. The Raptor-bots escaped the brunt of Jetfire's missile, but the explosion that did occur surprised even Jetfire, especially when the electric flashes snapped up too and electrocuted one of the Raptor-bots.

"What's going on?" called Knock Out from behind Jetfire inside the base.

"Traps," Jetfire told him. "I don't know whose, but I think we got a minefield around us."

"A mine field?" He found he had a strange small echo as he asked this, and as he turned he saw that that echo was Miko who was at that moment jumping in front of him.

"I thought you were supposed to stay with Ratchet," Knock Out remarked lightly.

Miko ignored him and went straight for the door to peek outside behind the shelter of Jetfire's foot just in time to see the smoke clear.

"More like a perimeter than a field, I think," said Jetfire.

The electrocuted Raptor-bot was crying now in pain, and with caution but concern, his fellows were coming to see if they could rescue him without being electrocuted too. There was also the audible disgruntled moan of someone else hidden away, and Miko frowned with recognition.

"Dead End," said Knock Out for her.

"So what are we gunna do?" whispered Miko.

"'We'?" demanded Jetfire. "'We'? You're a human. One that we just rescued besides. There's no 'we' in this kind of fight, little girl! I'm sure the Prime's word on humans also means we should not put you into danger."

"They all say that before they know me better," remarked Miko.

"Miko, I thought you promised to stay with Wheeljack," smiled Knock Out.

"She _is_ staying with me," said Wheeljack also near the entrance now.

"Oh," said Knock Out.

"We don't have to do anything for now," said Jetfire after a nod to Wheeljack, "the barrier will keep others from coming in just as much as it will keep us from coming out—at least for now."

"And if we didn't have a bridge," remarked Wheeljack.

#

Thick black smoke plumed from the black metallic heap along the roadside and up into a graying sky. Nothing stirred aside from that smoldering fire and its snaking tail skyward for a moment or two, but Starscream smiled inwardly as he narrowed in his vision upon one living human, injured and afraid.

His attempt to scramble into the brush was pitiable. The vehicle in flames he left behind was the most separated of MECH's vehicles and the first Starscream had fired at. The man did not even look as if he possessed communications anymore, and there was blood staining his clothing.

"Perfect," murmured Starscream.

Of course it was right at that moment that Starscream felt Skywarp hovering beside him, curious as to what Starscream was up to as he too saw the human trying to scramble away from them.

"Go see if there are any vehicles we might have missed or aren't in use," Starscream said without looking at him. "I don't want them to have any way to escape this place. Not one single human."

"Then what are _you_ going to do?" asked Skywarp lightly; he did not feel the fairness of doing all the work himself while Starscream, no longer the commander, just played with some pathetic human.

"Ensure that no human will have the ability to control any Cybertronian," retorted Starscream. "Or anyone for that matter. Have you not heard the master? No one of us has the right to physically have power over someone else's mind. We ought to prevent anyone else from having the power to control ours."

Skywarp still remained beside him.

"Well?" Starscream demanded. "What are you waiting for?"

Skywarp said nothing, but turned and flew along the road up into the direction the vehicles had been headed. Then once Starscream was satisfied that Skywarp was gone, he made a swoop and transformed so close in front of the human that he nearly landed on his outstretched, groping arms.

" _Yah_!" cried the human stumbling backwards even if from the force of the landing.

Starscream sneered and snickered as he watched the whimpering creature at his feet.

"Where is the mind control device?" he asked lightly.

The man shook his head.

"Do you want to make me angry?" grinned Starscream.

"But Lord Megatron told us where this base is and promised us one of the transformers," the man begged as if that would save him.

Again Starscream laughed, for, naturally, it was he who told them where the base was not Megatron, and it was he who had promised them an Autobot, and it was just funny that some humans simply called Cybertronians "transformers".

"How about I show you how transformers make fleshlings do what _they_ want? Perhaps you'd like to go for a ride in my cockpit up into space?" said Starscream. "I doubt it would be anything but roborant for your pathetic little body."

The man's eyes grew wider as Starscream's hand came for him. He still had a rather powerful gun despite being so small, but as he was injured and so unsettled he could not take aim fast enough to keep it from being plucked easily from his hands by Starscream instead of him picking up the man. He tossed the weapon carelessly over his shoulder.

Then he put the tip of a claw under the man's chin to lift his head so that he might look him straight in those quivering eyes.

Starscream focused his vision in to see the very veins in the sickening white orbs. On top of those, black orbs wreathed in a myriad of crystal-like patterns of browns and greens reflected in terror the vision of the titan above. The man in return had no choice but to stare into the great crimson lamps inside the hollow black sockets of that metallic skull that were Starscream's eyes and the seething hatred, irony, and psychotic pleasure burning within them.

"Don't make me ask again," Starscream warned, "or it will be your arms I pluck next or perhaps I'll have my own 'eye for an eye'—What is it called? Your spleen? For my T-cog…?"


	19. Past Inspiration

JMJ

NINETEEN: PAST INSPIRATION

 _Boom!_

Another Raptor-bot tried to get through the empty space where its fellow had already been caught in the trap laid there, but Jetfire fired, and the explosive nearest it went off and knocked him down. He was not nearly as hurt as the first, but he got the message. After scrambling to his feet, the Raptor-bot snarled angrily and retreated again.

There were so few Raptor-bots. It had seemed like more before, but now it looked like only half a dozen or so survived the attack aboard the _Knight_. Now two of those few were injured too.

"How long do you think they're going to keep coming back?" asked Knock Out casually.

"Better question is where are the humans that laid the traps?" said Wheeljack. "It was probably MECH who set them. If there's no one here to attack the base then we're wasting time. Someone should go help Bumblebee."

"It's done!" cried Raf.

Everyone turned to him in surprise.

"So soon?" demanded Jetfire.

"I know, if we'd known that sooner," said Ratchet coming up behind Raf, "I wouldn't have allowed Bumblebee out there."

"We all attack Lockdown at once!" cried Miko. "He can't take on us all!"

Wheeljack smiled. "That sounds good to me. He can't be worse than anyone else we fought."

"First of all," said Ratchet putting his finger to his temples in frustration, "you're not well enough to fight Lockdown with or without help, and you know it. You should not even really be out here. Second of all, if we do go out, we have to remember the fact that in the past we fought alongside Optimus Prime."

"We're still wasting time," said Wheeljack.

"Agreed!" said Jetfire. "I could come at him from above, and that might give you enough chance to ground bridge Bumblebee back here, and we could all go through then to Cybertron."

"That worked once!" said Ratchet. "It might not work again!"

"Hey!" said Miko then looking outside.

"What is it?" asked Jack.

"Someone's coming," hissed Miko.

#

 _Distractions, yes,_ thought Dead End a little earlier than when the Autobots' space bridge had been fixed as he looked at the fight commencing between his boss and the trio ready to face him.

He had left the Raptor-bots to deal with the others; though if they had a bridge, it really would not matter, for they could easily bridge past them. The humans were either dead or in hiding, and the only action now was with Lockdown, and Dead End had been ordered to get rid of unwanted distractions when his aim was for Bumblebee.

For a moment it seemed that three Autobots were to become two as his boss fired at the smallest one with a favorite explosive weapon of his, but Dead End was surprised—far more surprised than Lockdown who had seen the move before. Quickshift not only did not end up in a fried heap but was completely unharmed after a blue glow around him.

 _Now, that's a tool_! thought Dead End then noticing the gadget on his wrist.

As the blast cleared Quickshift stumbled in the crater suddenly beneath his feet. Trained well, and more of a natural for this sort of thing than either Swindle or Sideways had ever been, Dead End leapt just before Quickshift could recover and lunged at him. Quickshift could not prepare himself, and though, he phased through the blade suddenly thrust towards him, he was taken away from the main prey of his boss.

However, Dead End, who had not been thinking clearly at all since the demise of Swindle, had not thought before he leapt that it would be quite difficult to defeat a person who was so difficult to actually hit. Not only that, but even though Quickshift was not quite as skilled of a battler as Dead End he was quite as fast, true to his name. In fact the little bugger might have been just a touch faster, but Dead End was already too much in the fight now. He could not back out.

 _Come on_ , Dead End thought urging Lockdown to secure his prey quicker so that he could abandon this useless dual.

He was managing to lead the simple-headed Autobot away from Bumblebee and closer to the base. More and more. Further and further. The Raptor-bots would help. Maybe they could catch Quickshift unaware enough to kill him before his mind could send that message of need to his nifty little gadget too big for his wrist.

Then suddenly Quickshift kicked him down in just the right spot to make him lose his footing in the fight.

He clenched his teeth and growled.

 _What's taking those stupid Raptor-bots so long_!? he thought.

He tried to bounce back up and lunge again, and Quickshift fired. Dead End knew it was over before he was hit, and he was hit right in the neck too. He fell backwards and sparks flew as he landed on an electric trap, one of the many surrounding the base. Quickshift almost lost his balance from the suddenness of the fireworks, but he tumbled back into an exceptionally thick tree and watched dumbfounded until the electrocution stopped.

Dead End was in a heap similar to the one he had expected Quickshift to be in not moments before, but he would not give up now. As Quickshift, assuming his adversary no longer able to fight, made to turn back for Bumblebee, Dead End had his chance. Although panting and in considerable pain, he used all his strength to get up as quickly as he could to grab the phase shifter while Quickshift was unprepared, but he was seconds too late and Quickshift noticed him. Besides even if he had grabbed it, he would not have been able to use it for it was right then that a far more powerful missile struck him in the side already damaged from the electrocution and the beating Quickshift had given him. The aim was just right, or just wrong for Dead End, who had come to his last moment.

#

Quickshift looked up from the smoldering heap of metal that had once been Dead End and settled his optics on Jetfire's grim face and smoking arm.

"Where's Bumblebee!?" Ratchet demanded on one side of him.

Panting still from the moment, Quickshift pointed before he spoke, and as he did the sounds of the fight were coming in clearer, and they could see Bulkhead, Bumblebee and Lockdown very near now.

Standing on the other side of Jetfire, Knock Out's optics widened.

"They're fighting over the underground storage," he murmured.

"What?" asked Jack.

"Come on!" said Quickshift then, "If you guys finished getting rid of everyone else let's get Lockdown!"

"Yeah!" agreed Miko.

"What about a plan?" demanded Ratchet; though he was looking anxiously at the fight.

"Go with Jetfire's plan," said Wheeljack.

Jetfire gave a sharp nod and transforming into his jet he swooped at once to interfere.

Quickshift was turning to join him, but suddenly Knock Out held out his hand.

"Wait!" he said.

"'Wait?'" demanded Ratchet.

Quickshift leered at Knock Out impatiently and even distrustfully.

Knock Out bounded after him and jumped over the remains of Dead End so as to avoid getting exploded or electrocuted.

He did not feel like explaining his plan to Quickshift. In his mind, there was no time. Smokescreen would get it right away, of course, but Quickshift, he was not so sure. Besides, the heat of the moment, the heroics of the Autobots, and everything that had happened to Knock Out thus far had him acting on this with only impulse, and had he thought about it before he jumped he might not have done it.

Maybe Starscream was right. Maybe foolhardy courage was indeed contagious among the followers of Optimus Prime, but Knock Out bolted forward without a thought as to the danger he was plunging into. He snatched the phase shifter right from Quickshift's wrist.

"Hey!" he cried. "What're you—"

"I got an idea!" grinned Knock Out, but he did not stop as he transformed and drove as fast as he could to the scene of the fight.

"Knock Out!" called Jack.

Quickshift raced after Knock Out, and no one noticed either of them where the fight was taking place. There would not have been much of a fight left either had Jetfire not complicated matters for Lockdown; Bulkhead and Bumblebee could not have held much longer, and were quite hurt by this time.

 _Perfect_ , thought Knock Out. _Lockdown's still standing right over it._

Lockdown lifted his head upward to Jetfire as though he was only a pesky fly and fired at him, but it was only a ruse to make Bumblebee or Bulkhead attack him when he was not looking at them. Bulkhead was the one who lunged, and Lockdown fired.

In a movement that blocked the worst of the blast he was not killed, but he still fell frontward onto the ground.

Knock Out staggered as it suddenly dawned on him that if he did not do this just right he would get killed far easier than Bulkhead, but he was driving now. Although in robot-mode he might have tripped at this point, he simply kept driving until he was almost on top of Lockdown.

Lockdown turned as Knock Out transformed back and leapt over him. A fist came at him with a very sharp trio of nasty jagged blades, but the phase shifter did its job before. Then Knock Out phased Lockdown. At that point Lockdown in theory could probably hurt him again, but Knock Out pulled him head first into the ground. He let him go half way through while he himself landed inside the dark storage room.

He collided with just about everything in there, but he could not waste time over scratches and bumps when his life was on the line still. After all, the ground would not hold Lockdown long. Turning quickly he pressed his hand into the wall to leave, but he only touched the wall. A jolt went through his mind as with terror he realized that his whole other hand had been completely sliced off. He lifted his wrist. Only when he saw the severed ends sizzling did he feel the pain of it. The only good thing was that it had been a clean enough cut that the energon flow had been able to shut off there, but the phase shifter was gone.

Did Lockdown have it?

He spun around.

No. He saw it. On the other side of the storage area.

Neither of them had it.

Lockdown leered savagely with optics that pierced like blades, and Knock Out felt them pierce him right to the spark as he let out an " _eep_!" But he was far more concerned with the weapon that replaced Lockdown's face—the face gun, and Knock Out jumped to his feet and stumbled to the door.

Knock Out tripped a second time as he tried to reach for the phase shifter. Squeezing his optics shut for a second he thought of all the energon in here that would explode the both of them to scrap metal once it caught on fire. He had been expecting someone to kill Lockdown from above, but he supposed that now they were waiting for Knock Out to reappear before they fired.

Apparently the great hunter had not seen the energon cubes about him. Or perhaps he was not about to go offline in such a humiliating fashion without taking someone with him, but his weapon was ready to fire.


	20. Tallying What Remains

JMJ

TWENTY: TALLYING WHAT REMAINS

Knock Out heard the blast as in one last effort he tore through the door. The blast blew him the rest of the way up and out as he tumbled painfully on the ground above. He blew straight into a tree or two, completely smashing them through with the force of his body being blown so hard. Then he landed on the ground face-first with a cry.

He lifted himself up for a few seconds by the elbows, just enough to see the fire and the crater left of the demolished storage house.

Was Lockdown offline? Had he used the phase shifter to escape?

He tried to look past the hazy blaze, but he saw no one. He lowered his head again in momentary relief that he had at least a few seconds to recuperate. As far as he could tell he was alright. He could have been a lot worse. Mostly he just felt sore. Oh. And there was that hand. Though, admittedly after what had just happened that did not seem so important, and for the first time even when he thought about his finish he did not really care enough to worry about it. He survived Lockdown, for crying out loud!

Again he opened his eyes and blinked a little as his audio receivers caught the sound of flying overhead.

 _Jetfire? Starscream?_

No. He thought it was Fowler after that. His guess was confirmed when he heard on a loudspeaker his order for every human on the premises to get their butts out of this secure government area.

"A little _too_ late to be fashionably late, isn't he?" he muttered dryly to himself.

"Knock Out!" It was Ratchet.

" _Hmm_?" asked Knock Out lifting his head again in the opposite direction from the blaze at Ratchet coming towards him, and he blinked rather like a sleepy child.

"Are you hurt?" he demanded.

"Besides my hand and my lousy civic finish," muttered Knock Out as he pried himself from the ground and onto his feet, "I don't think I can complain too much."

"Well, that was completely stupid of you!" Ratchet told him. "Did you even think about what you were doing? Reckless and stupid!"

"Well," remarked Knock Out glancing back at the fire. "I guess I fit right into Team Prime then, eh, Ratchet?"

Ratchet glowered for a few seconds and then shook his head and his face softened. He looked as though he was going to say something far kinder, but though, Knock Out would have liked that very much, Miko suddenly interrupted with words that made him beam broader as she cried enthusiastically, "I didn't know you could do something like that! You just ran right at him and whooped him!"

"I was pretty good," he could not help but say; though he also could not help but ask, "So no one saw Lockdown escape, did you?"

"No," said Ratchet, "Where are the others?"

"We're right here, Ratchet," said a determined but rather weak voice.

"Bee!" exclaimed Raf.

He and the other humans were coming then from the base to catch up with Ratchet along with Wheeljack. Miko was already running up ahead to catch Bulkhead as he and Bumblebee and Jetfire made their way wearily towards them.

"Careful," said Ratchet. "There's still the perimeter of explosives around the base."

Miko ran over Dead End and clasped onto Bulkhead who himself was barely able to hold himself up, and the others followed to the spot where Knock Out and Ratchet stood.

Bumblebee looked through the wreckage and the crater where Lockdown had been after a bright greeting with Raf.

"He's offline, alright," said Bumblebee with sigh of relief.

He looked again at Raf who had looked down simultaneously with him, and Raf nodded.

Someone then came their way again. It looked to be a human, Knock Out noticed. For a split second he wondered if it was MECH, but he smiled wryly to see it was only the Autobots' other human contact again.

"Agent Fowler!" said Ratchet.

"What kind of name is that?" Quickshift could not help but ask.

"What in the name of Washington's teeth happened here?" demanded Fowler. "Who's dead?"

"Lockdown," said Miko.

"Who's Lockdown?"

"Uh, it's kind of a long story," said Jack scratching his head. "Let's just say he was working for Megatron, and now at least something's been set back on him."

"But what happened to Screamer and Skywarp?" Bulkhead suddenly asked and it came out in almost a croak.

"They ran off?" offered Miko, but her voice told that she was more concerned about Bulkhead than about her suggestion as she put a hand affectionately on his ankle.

"It looks like they were only here to get rid of MECH," muttered Knock Out throwing his injured hand behind his back suddenly rather sulky about it.

"Before anything, though," said Ratchet eyeing the injuries of Bumblebee and Bulkhead, "we need to tend to the wounded. I'm taking them through the bridge. Raf, Miko, and Jack will have to explain the details. Someone from Cybertron can take over here for a little while."

"I will remain too, if need be," Jetfire offered.

"Who's this? New guy?" asked Fowler.

"Jetfire, at your service, Mr. Fowler," said Jetfire with a bow.

"A Gentleman, huh?" said Fowler.

"Ha, ha, hardly," said Wheeljack.

"And this is Quickshift," said Raf pointing to the one so named.

But suddenly Fowler stiffened, and everyone else noted what he noted. The Raptor-bots were returning.

Weapons lifted. The Autobots prepared to fight them, but the three that appeared looked to be in no mood to fight. Instead they lowered their heads nearly to the ground before the feet of Bumblebee. Knock Out half expected them to kiss his feet; though then he remembered that kissing was only something he had learned about from Earth. It showed he had probably seen one too many Earth films.

"Who are _these_ guys!?" Fowler demanded.

"Dinobots," said Wheeljack. "They were supposedly killed off during the War, but…"

"We surrender, Autobot leader," hissed one Raptor-bot. "We surrender to ones who kill hated master who kidnap us from where we live. We don't want fight anymore, Autobot leader. So few left and hated master not care, and Boldtalon hurt. We beg you fix Boldtalon."

Though quite hurt himself, Bumblebee turned to Ratchet who stood silent and rather skeptical.

"I can take care of Boldtalon," said Knock Out suddenly. "Provided on Cybertron, I get my hand fixed, of course, but that shouldn't take long considering the resources now available to us at home now. Ratchet's going to be pretty busy with everyone else, isn't he? And I'm pretty skilled in the doctor department as long Boldtalon behaves better than an Insecticon." Even as he spoke, Knock Out thought it amusing how much being with the Autobots had affected his thinking.

"Boldtalon behave," promised the Raptor-bots. "Boldtalon do whatever you wish."

Bumblebee smiled; he had almost forgotten about Knock Out. Though, Knock Out could hardly blame him in his condition. He noticed more at the time how Ratchet was starting to fidget a little, anxious to get Bumblebee fixed and trying to decide whether he should interfere with this possible important alliance as Bumblebee turned again to the Raptor-bots.

"Is there anything else you want, Raptor-bots?" Bumblebee asked.

"To go home to home where other Dinobots live to our good master that still escaped Lockdown with his servants' help."

Bumblebee stumbled then. He could not keep up the façade. His injuries were getting to him.

"Bee!" cried several of his friends almost at once.

"It will have wait!" said Ratchet. "Everything. Let's get Bulkhead and Bumblebee in here now. Then we'll see what we can do with you."

"Agreed!" said Jetfire.

"But bring your wounded," said Bumblebee.

The Raptor-bots bowed low and did as bidden.

"And I'll stay on guard, in case Starscream or Skywarp return for any of their sport!" said Jetfire pounding his staff upon the ground.

"Sounds good," said Ratchet over his shoulder. "As soon as we're done with the bridge, then whoever we send back should dismantle it on this time and leave the area. We don't know how much time we have here."

"Okay," said Fowler following the other humans back into the base, "but I'm gunna wanna hear the whole thing ASAP! Though I gotta admit…" And here he turned to see Jetfire transform into a jet and take off into the sky; then he turned to Quickshift, "Looks like you got yourselves some good new allies."

#

At last Starscream was certain that everyone had cleared the area including the Dinobots that had grabbed the wounded and brought him into the base. Jetfire too would not see him on the ground as Starscream slipped onto the scene of the explosion on the opposite side from the base. From their talk many of them had gone to Cybertron. Thankfully, the Raptor-bots were included in that; though he still felt wary of Jetfire. It would not be long before anyone left at the base would be gone, taking their bridge with them, but then it was Megatron's orders that the only one to be harmed was Bumblebee, and Starscream was not about to disobey orders of his master…yet.

He still did not know where Skywarp was, but he had to see for himself whether or not Lockdown survived. After all, he pegged him to be an escape artist worthy of the best of them. Then he would call Skywarp and have a bridge for their return.

As he leered through the slightly blue-tinted smoke still pluming out of the crater, he could see that the likelihood of Lockdown's survival proved quite slim. Sure enough, as he winced and zoomed in with his optics analytically inside he could see the remains of Lockdown. An arm. A leg. He thought he saw part of his face, and even if it was not, he was positive he saw the severed spark chamber from which no light emanated, and no spark to spark resuscitation was going to get Lockdown back online.

 _Lord Megatron will be disappointed_ , he thought idly to himself, mostly because he knew for a fact that Bumblebee had survived.

When he first investigated the explosion he might have tried to fire at Bumblebee himself when he saw him coming towards the others, but even injured as most of the group was Starscream had felt himself to be a tad outnumbered, and besides, he had his own plans now since poor Megatron's dip into madness.

O, how Starscream had tried to be a faithful servant. He had tried to be humble and useful. It seemed that during the course of his life, Starscream had tried just about everything to find his place in the universe. If one was not Starscream one would say that he simply failed at life in his pursuits for place and purpose, but Starscream was Starscream, and he knew then that his plan would not fail him, especially just then as a new element to his plan became clear to him.

His optics lit up, and a pleased, if not disturbing, smile spread over his face.

"Well," he could not help but say out loud as he stooped down to pick up the phase shifter, scratched and a bit scorched but still intact. He brushed off some dirt and dust as he examined it. "Today must be my day of fortune."

He put it on and it adjusted to his thin wrist despite how bulky it was on him. His smile grew as he passed his hand through the severed remains of a tree trunk still standing, and he snickered before taking it off again to call Skywarp over. Both MECH's device and the phase shifter were put away, stored safely inside of himself in the cockpit section. No one could know about his new toys, after all.

"Skywarp?" he said, walking away from the wreckage, and away from the base. "Skywarp, come in. It's time to— _guh_!"

He gasped and leapt back, and his wings bounced upward a moment to see Soundwave right in front of him.

"Starscream? Don't tell me you need backup," muttered Skywarp.

Straightening himself and making a sound like clearing his throat, Starscream did not answer Skywarp but glanced behind him briefly at the crater and then back at Soundwave who stood as still as a cold spark. Though, it was now that Starscream noticed in Soundwave's hands the damaged pieces of Laserbeak.

Starscream terminated communication with Skywarp and lifted his optics to Soundwave's visor.

"Ah, so there were wounded on our side as well," said Starscream, and he threw a hand tranquilly behind his back, "but Shockwave should be able to revive Laserbeak. Far better than he can revive Lockdown and his crony, anyway."

Soundwave did not change his demeanor in the least and Starscream smiled nervously.

"He's offline you know," Starscream continued, picturing the scowl ever deepening on Soundwave's face behind his visor. "Blown clean to pieces." He shook his head in false regret as he put his hand over his spark and bowed his head. Directly afterwards he lifted his head again however, and admitted. "Aside from being sorry that our master's plan did not work, I cannot say that I'm too sorry about his demise. I can't imagine you are too torn either."

Still Soundwave remained unmoved, and Starscream found his optics faltering against Soundwave's, and he lowered his vision almost submissively.

 _How long_ was _he standing here_? Starscream could not help but think, and he glanced once more at the smoking crater. Facing Soundwave again, he said, "So, have you seen Skywarp?"

Soundwave simply showed a picture of an opening space bridge.

"Ah, you sent him back! That would explain his confusion. Then let's get a move on before Jetfire spots us. He's circling round like the perfect predator he is Autobot or Decepticon," said Starscream, "though, I can honestly say at least that I did my job well."

The portal opened, and as they stepped through together, Starscream said still smiling a touch goofily, "MECH has had an awful setback and no one will need fear any human controlling a Cybertronian any time soon."

#

"Oh, he was great!" Bulkhead congratulated.

They were in the Cybertronian Hospital Smokescreen and Arcee had a little time from working with the hatchlings by leaving Ultra Magnus and the eldest Flare Up with them for a little while. They now entered after Knock Out had just finished patching up Boldtalon and Ratchet had nearly done patching up Bulkhead and Bumblebee. Wheeljack was completely back to normal now too.

Though still not quite in top form, however Bulkhead, who seemed to be recovering a little quicker than Bumblebee, certainly had regained the strength to give Knock Out a hearty slap on the back right between the wheels, and Knock Out could not help but cringe at the painful vibration along his back line.

"Weren't you, Knocky?"

" _Nngh_!" was all Knock Out responded with at first as his wheels turned just a little on either side of his back, but he quickly smiled in spite of himself and rolled his shoulder plates a little to better recover.

"And you said you couldn't be a Wrecker!" Bulkhead teased.

"Well, it _is_ amazing what one can do under pressure and without thinking," Knock Out admitted with a careless shrug, "but I'd still rather not think of myself as a Wrecker."

"A Wrecker could not have done it better," said Wheeljack wryly.

Arcee put her hand on her hip.

"So now you're teaching Knock Out to be a Wrecker?" she asked, but she was just as amused as the Wreckers themselves.

"We didn't teach him anything," said Bulkhead. "He did it all himself!"

Knock Out beamed, his head swelling just a little. "I _was_ pretty good out there, I suppose."

"Why, what happened?" asked Smokescreen.

"He took down Lockdown," said Bulkhead.

Arcee's optics flew open in surprise; she nearly staggered.

"He did?" asked Smokescreen.

"Oh," Knock Out chuckled waving his hand aside in at least half-intended humility. "I wouldn't say I did it _all_ myself, after all. It was a team effort. One that would have made Optimus Prime proud, I'm sure."

Bumblebee smiled from where he sat on a medical table.

"I know he would," he said.

"Oh, and that does remind me, Smokescreen," Knock Out said. "I hate to ruin the moment and all, especially since the moment's on me, but I suppose since Quickshift is back on Earth as he is, you probably haven't heard about what happened to our favorite weapon."

"The phase shifter?" said Smokescreen suddenly disappointed.

"Well, it was destroyed in the blast, I believe," said Knock Out. "I 'borrowed' it from Quickshift." He shrugged. "You know. Our little trick is what did old Van Pelt in and I didn't have time to explain it to Quickshift."

Smokescreen made a face of mixed emotion and thought, but it was a look of confusion that suddenly took hold of him as he said, "But I didn't know it could be destroyed that easily."

"Tell us the whole thing," Arcee insisted, looking at Bulkhead.

Yeah," agreed Smokescreen. "I mean, we've only been told scratches of what went on from those Raptor-bots, and I want to hear the whole story."

"Sure," said Bulkhead. "Where do you want us to start?"

"When Wheeljack left with Jetfire and Quickshift," said Arcee smiling.

And so it was told them with many interruptions. Wheeljack told his parts, and Bulkhead told his. Knock Out told what was left, and by the time he got to his part about his plan and the demise of Lockdown, it suddenly struck him; though he had known it before it had. He truly had become part of them. He was a member of the Autobots just as much as the others, and he truly did feel a love for them—his friends, _his family_. He beamed very wide with that feeling as it swelled pleasantly inside him more the pride of his victory. Though, admittedly that still enhanced the swelling in spite of everything.


	21. War Gods

JMJ

TWENTY-ONE: WAR GODS

There are valuable commodities aboard the _Knight_ , Soundwave replayed Shockwave saying. Enough to defeat the…others if we utilize these commodities to our advantage—

This was no news to Megatron. Shockwave had already spoken those words in his lord's presence. Megatron had already given Shockwave leave to scour the ship for anything useful. Her energon supply alone proved valuable, but there were far more proactive and offensive goods aboard the _Knight_. With Lockdown offline, the whole ship was theirs for the taking after it was fixed up a little and some of the escaped creatures were utilized or disposed of properly. At that very moment Shockwave had Starscream and Skywarp, much to their displeasure, reduced to errand boys like fledglings, to help him.

But Soundwave had been patient for some time with Megatron sometime, and he wanted answers.

He was well aware that the others questioned his sanity. He knew what they murmured behind Megatron's back when they thought no one heard them: that their master had gone through too much trauma to the mental processors—used himself as a test subject for greater power—one too many times, and that his judgment had become impaired. No uncertainty emerged in Soundwave's mind that Megatron knew they said these things too, or at least thought them to themselves. Soundwave also assumed that Megatron shared with him that same strong suspicion that Starscream had yet again given up his loyal streak and that at any moment he may go AWAL on them. Skywarp's motivation was lacking more than it ever had in the past however, and Shockwave seemed to be running on automatic more than it was probably logical.

Still Soundwave had been patient with Megatron.

Megatron had always been one to think differently from other Cybertronians, and, admittedly, he did go through slumps and genius blocks and mood swings. The mood swings, especially used to throw Soundwave off, but he had been ever Megatron's most trusted servant. He had also always been his closest. No one knew Megatron better than he did. He was silent enough to observe Megatron, and he had known him fairly well even before the War. No living Decepticon could claim that any longer. Not even the X-commander Starscream in his better days could ever claim to know Megatron as well as Soundwave, and Soundwave knew that whether partly mad now or not, Megatron had always been "partly mad", if one wanted to call it that. Others had always said that of the great thinkers of the universe, but there was always a method to his madness.

At his spark, behind his crude warlord exterior, Megatron had ever been the philosopher, and this was no emotional musings of Soundwave's part. It was just a fact. Soundwave may not have been quite as literal about it as Shockwave and he certainly had his passionate moments, but Soundwave was a realist more than a romantic. He was nothing like Megatron who was romanticism incarnate and all the flood of emotion that went with it. Before he and Soundwave had become gods of war Megatron had been a thinker, a reader, and a dreamer; and his dreams were ever towering.

As Soundwave stared at Megatron in his usual uncomplaining silence, Megatron raised a brow as he studied Soundwave for a moment or two in return. In conversation Megatron always studied his opponent well before he retaliated as he slowly digested what had just been said to him. A philosopher, some may have been, but he was always a slow philosopher. Either way Soundwave was confident he was making himself clear in his query without words of his own or an expression to match visible outside his visor.

Although not nearly as testy as this, they had carried conversations in this manner for over a thousand years. Megatron had to know even now exactly what Soundwave was asking Megatron about this warship, the _Knight_ , the legendary Ship of Primes now at their disposal. If they could fix the _Knight_ , which so far seemed to be quite severely damaged, it would easily wipe out the new settlement of the Autobots in one swift attack with no resistance able to withstand them on their part if they moved quickly.

But from his side of the visor through which he could see everything better than other Cybertronians, Soundwave had to admit that he could not see the same gleam in Megatron's optics as in times past. A true dullness, not a false one due to his slowness or tiredness seemed to overshadow them. An almost vacancy veiled them. Was he far away, not truly in the present but in some passion that he had yet to understand himself, or was it truly vacancy of mind? Was there nothing there to find aside from a dull grief, which ever persisted since Soundwave's return, and perhaps it was the grief of Megatron's own knowledge that his mind was not the same, but as his mind was not the same he could not figure out what to do about it.

At last, though not any longer than it usually took for Megatron to consider someone's well placed words thoroughly, he blinked at Soundwave and said, "I have already told you, Soundwave. There will be _no_ conflict. _No_ more war."

Times have indeed changed Soundwave replied now using Starscream's past phrasing, But will they trade? He then added in Megatron's own voice: Willingly?

Now a look of dull anger covered Megatron's face. "I will not use the _Knight_ to force them into submission, and I know what you are considering mocking me with in return, Soundwave. That I have already broken my own word in allowing Starscream to go on his annihilation spree. That I allowed him to kill those that were not necessary to kill. They were not a threat. Or perhaps you would mock me with Bumblebee's bounty. Perhaps you would say how I've failed you all that remain. My faithful followers." He snorted. "My faithful followers have only grown further in their hatred for over a thousand years, and that hatred has made you all monsters hardly worth being called Cybertronian any longer, mutated metal beyond repair!"

Soundwave rolled his optics; though naturally, Megatron could not see this.

 _Melodramatic much?_

Lighting up the screen on his visor he flashed a digital white flag with a very bold white question mark next to it. He meant it sarcastically to snap Megatron out of his flight of zeal as Soundwave's own anger and impatience began to rise.

"I have told Starscream and I will tell you," hissed Megatron very dangerously now, for he was not in the least bit amused but Soundwave was not threatened by him; though he had become a great deal more threatening in his weapons and bulk of late. "I will never surrender; though I die for my cause, but I _am_ the next ruler of Cybertron. The fates will guide us to victory now that I've seen the error of my ways, but maybe I've made one more mistake in hoping that the monsters I've created would understand anymore than the Predaking still follows his maker or his master."

Now it was Soundwave who paused and studied his opponent.

Was this some new philosophy?

No.

Megatron was constantly contradicting his own bold statements. He did not know what he believed, because he was not purposely being a hypocrite. Soundwave knew that much. Even mad, Megatron would not abide hypocrisy and had never shown hypocrisy unless allowing his followers to be hypocritical meant so, which it probably did. Well, besides that he had treated everyone under his command equally unless they had angered him too much, but he would usually forgive them in the end if they survived his anger. Not even physical weakness was not to be treated with disdain or taken advantage of. Never had Megatron gone against these principles however rampant it was among his followers, but then, it only occurred to Soundwave now, that he had allowed most of his followers to get away with not following this "code of honor" so to speak, especially Starscream, whom he had always seemed to pity somehow from the early days before the War when Starscream was a friendless, passionate, aimless (if not incredibly confusing and obnoxious) young seeker, who was sent away by the council just to get rid of him and his annoyances…

They had sent Starscream to the farthest reaches of mining in the universe at the time while lying to him, as Megatron saw it, that it was his skill that had made them decide to make him leader of the most number of mining vehicons on Cybertron. Proud but incredibly lost, Starscream was to Megatron the epitome of what comes from a society with the problems he saw it had, and the terrible slope it was still descending into when he discovered him. He saw so much potential in Starscream's quick wit, his agility as a flight, and especially in that unused passion and rage if it was given purpose. He took him under his wing. Even Orion Pax, then Megatron's friend, saw a danger in giving the zealous Starscream something to fight for before he understood, but when Orion Pax had, as Megatron felt, betrayed him that only made Megatron's resolve to keep his word to Starscream more firmly.

When the initial slaughters that began the War commenced, Soundwave only foresaw Starscream's inclusion so high in their ranks as to make him second in command as leading to failure. He counseled against it. Admittedly, resentment also played a part in it, but either way Megatron was not easily counseled once his mind was made up. No doubt it was not only a desire to give a potential strength to the Cause something to boost him that made Megatron help Starscream as he had at the beginning, but no doubt pity had something to do with stopping him from killing Starscream when his plans for him did not work out.

Of course, there was just the fact that Megatron could never admit that he was wrong about anything, not even about Starscream…

 _Is_ that _it then_? Soundwave thought. _The root of Megatron's present state. The impasse in his mind between thinking he was wrong all this time about the Cause and his lust for what he always believed is his only right and position in the universe to be Prime of Cybertron. And the added trauma to his mental processors must make it all the worse for him to handle._

He continued to stare at Megatron for a moment more.

 _Has he really died one too many times so that true damage has been inflicted on his brain modules themselves?_

Was their leader no longer well enough to be their leader? Would they never regroup? There were so many ways Megatron could defeat that tiny remnant of Autobots, and so many ways he could take the new generation from them and reshape Cybertron to his will as a god of peace. The _Knight_ , especially made this possible. The warship was meant to face armadas! The fight was theirs and theirs alone. And Megatron's strange words of forcing a peace upon both Autobot and Decepticon was the only drivel that came out of his mouth. One could not force peace; though in theory the _Knight_ could possibly make some surrender.

The visor screen blinked again. This time Soundwave displayed the Decepticon symbol and the Autobot symbol side by side and multiplied this image by three. Inside each pair he put a different symbol: "Vs.", "+", and "=". Afterward he put again his question mark from before beside a well meaning "_". To emphasize himself, he put the Decepticon symbol "+" Autobot Symbol "≠" a picture of Cybertron. Decepticon symbol "+" Autobot Symbol "=" "0".

I have never questioned you once you made a decision said Soundwave.

It was in his own voice capacitator too, but it was not his voice of the present.

Part of him had been tempted to give a full articulate response to Megatron, but he would not give up his vow of silence just yet.

This was a quote from the past. Megatron had once in a slump before the full swing of the War, questioned Soundwave's loyalty, not for Soundwave's sake, but for his own, for he himself was having a rare moment of regret that those on Cybertron who fought for the status quo forced him to use such extreme measures against them. This was what Soundwave had answered.

Using this phrase in present day, however gave a very new meaning to it. How much did Soundwave have patience with him? The stars only knew as Megatron's ideas became more and more romantic (if one wanted to call ways of killing people romantic) the longer the War went on until they were not so much romantic ideas as disturbing. He risked the safety of the Decepticons, and his own sanity had been on the line.

How much Soundwave put up with! He would not allow his processors to calculate it. Now, after escaping from some vacuum of interplanetary dimensions, a plan organized by human spawns, he came back not to find Megatron at his height with newly acquired weaponry aimed at Bumblebee's head now that the Prime was out of the way, but a self-obsessed, delusional heap of scrap metal. If it had not been for the respect of a thousand years already earned by Megatron, Soundwave might have thought of terminating him already.

Soundwave was not sure whether to feel betrayed or to feel disgusted! But there was no talking to Megatron, he realized. No eloquence in the universe would bring him back to his senses. As Soundwave had come to learn, eloquence of many words rarely helped any situation, really, but if there was one thing he almost wished to say out loud it was simply this: "Megatron. Do you hear yourself? You're talking madness, stupidity even!" Anyone else who would say such a thing may have risked Megatron's wrath, but Soundwave knew that the respect Megatron had for him for over a thousand years would have stayed his wrath normally, but now…It was difficult to tell, but Soundwave was confident that he could escape it, either way. Still he kept his vow of silence. If Megatron was too lost to tell Soundwave's thoughts without him outright saying them, he did not deserve to hear them anyway.

At present, besides leering and grumbled, Megatron had nothing more to say to Soundwave, and he told him so, but he did have an order for Shockwave on the _Knight_ , "Leave the ship for now."

There was a pause of confusion and Soundwave watched Megatron with interest.

" _At once, Lord Megatron_." Shockwave knew better than to question him.

That was when Megatron's madness became the clearest to Soundwave.

Once Shockwave, Starscream, and Skywarp had left the ship, Megatron flew in himself, and with his massive blaster, he destroyed its core, making the _Knight_ a stranded craft. No one, Megatron later said, was to use the legendary ship, only salvage what was in it.

Everyone else was in a state of shock for some time, but Soundwave was not. In fact his decision had at last been made.

#

During the couple Earth cycles that followed, Starscream continued helping Shockwave with Skywarp in salvaging what they could from the smoldering _Knight_. Starscream was beginning to tire of the silence and the monotony, or of being Shockwave's errand boy. Yet he did not allow his time to be wasted.

He had been pondering over the possible ways of best utilizing his new toys. With the phase shifter in one hand he could easily get the mind control device into someone's head without an operating table. That had been the idea from the start, and it was perfect luck that he had managed to get a hold of both. Otherwise he might have been forced to try to drag someone else into this. As Shockwave would have been out of the question he would have had to resort to kidnapping someone from MECH, if there was anyone left now. But that exercise was pointless now, fortunately for him, and now that everyone's minds were focused on Megatron's action of destroying the _Knight_ , no mind was turned to Starscream.

Well, except maybe Soundwave. Soundwave had been eyeing him an awful lot since the demise of Lockdown. Starscream doubted Soundwave had truly seen anything, because no matter what mood Soundwave was in he would not have allowed Starscream to have the phase shifter. He would have brought it up to Megatron. But he knew Starscream and he knew that for some time had acted simply bewildered but had suddenly become refocused. Starscream knew that he knew too.

Oh, if only he was a little better at his poker face, but every emotion was cursed to stain the casing on his arm.

 _But_! Starscream thought. _First and foremost, who shall I use it on?_

The first idea that occurred to him was to use it straight up on Megatron himself. He was mad, after all. Everyone knew it. Even Starscream would make a better Megatron, Starscream felt. Then again if he was mad, would the mind control device work properly? If it failed, he would be offline before he could blink. He still would have to sneak up on Megatron, and the eyes on the back of his lordship's head AKA Soundwave would know. No question. Unless he mind controlled Soundwave.

Starscream had to chuckle there, but no one could sneak up on Soundwave.

He thought of toughing it out on his own again temporarily and mind controlling Bumblebee or possibly Jetfire, but the thought of being on his own did not bode well with him.

No. That was not good either.

He could control one of the Autobots without Megatron knowing, but Starscream was not sure exactly how the mind control device worked. Would it render the victim into a voice-commanded drone? Or would it just be an influence? The humans who designed it were going for influence, but without an actual Cybertronian mind to test it on, they were not sure how it would work either. By the data they had salvaged from the days of Silas, they knew it would do something to the will power of a Cybertronian mental processor, however, and from what Starscream had learned he believed they were right.

Maybe he should test it first, but there was not even a Vehicon around anywhere.

 _I wonder if it would be safe to test it on Skywarp temporarily…?_ He thought in frustration, but one look at Skywarp and he decided it best to simply wait.

Shockwave would be just as tricky even if less nerve wracking. He could not test it anywhere around Soundwave or Megatron, but Starscream's patience was wearing thin.

Interestingly enough it was Soundwave who broke the monotony by showing on the computer screen the location of what looked to be a large weapon located on Earth.

"According to Soundwave's findings, my lord," Shockwave said turning emotionlessly to his master, "it appears to be located in the area of Earth known as the Sahara Desert."

"How did it get there?" demanded Megatron. "What is its purpose?"

Soundwave showed the projectory aimed for the moon, and their exact location on it.

"If we had a functional base (or a great warship)," retorted Starscream, and he did not care that Megatron lifted a testy brow at him, "we could disable it from here."

"We do not," said Shockwave. "Therefore it is illogical to discuss it."

"Who is behind it?" demanded Megatron.

Soundwave shrugged.

It was a massive weapon if Soundwave was correct, but nothing else could be known for certain at present.

"A trap?" offered Skywarp. He glanced idly at Megatron.

Soundwave opened a portal and nodded towards Skywarp and Starscream as though suggesting they go and investigate.

"Yes, do so," said Megatron. "Find out what's going on, and destroy it if you can." He turned to Starscream, and Starscream shuddered. "With _out_ casualties if it can be helped."

Starscream grinned. "Of course, Master!"

Skywarp was about to begrudgingly but obediently go in through the portal when Starscream added, "But what if Skywarp is right, and it isn't a weapon but a trap for us, and as soon as we emerge on the other side the Autobots—"

Coordinates are secure said Soundwave in an old Shockwave recording with which he meant to say that he had chosen his spot carefully.

"In the meantime, my Lord, would it not be wise to move our own position with the _Black Hole_?" asked Shockwave; he was scanning over the screens and touch-screening about. "Something also does not appear to be right with our network as if someone has hacked it, and it would be logical to be on a location of the moon that could not be targeted while I see to it."

That would be logical Soundwave agreed in Shockwave's recording yet again, and he glanced at Megatron.

Megatron was occupied with Starscream.

Starscream frowned, but he made no further delay or complaint. Maybe once on Earth he would be able to utilize his new toys, anyway, if they truly did have the element of surprise. He did not like the situation. Not one little bit, but he passed Skywarp and stepped first towards Soundwave's open portal. Starscream could not help but wonder why Soundwave insisted upon using his own portals which were not quite as precise as bridging. Then again, they were not traceable either.

Skywarp went through.

Starscream felt that something was going to be discussed behind his back once he left the base, but he would let them have their secrets for now however much he resented it.

Jet-mode activated, he flew through the portal and out in a flash on the other side into open air. He was so annoyed as he flew that he did not stop to think for a few seconds that he might be spotted, but he suddenly noticed that Skywarp was not beside him.

He jolted in midflight and came to a halt. He almost forgot to hover, and not because of the lack of Skywarp. He suddenly realized that he was not on Earth! This was not necessarily because he knew what the Sahara Desert looked like but because he knew exactly where he was—the old Predacon gravesite!

" _What_!?" he demanded.

Skywarp was beside him now and just as in shock. Both jets quickly turned tail then and flew with all their strength back towards the still miraculously open portal in the Cybertronian sky, but just as Starscream thought he could hear the raised voices of his fellows on the other side of Soundwave's portal, he was suddenly in a shock to see a great bulk of metal coming straight at his face. Starscream, in his surprise, could not prevent the collision.

Both he and the great metal fell and tumbled on the cliff side bordering the ancient seabed. The skeletal remains of ancient Predacons had been cleared but he could still picture their vengeful claws wrenching upward as though to snatch him. What was worse is that even before they came to a stop Starscream heard the deep, chest rupturing swoop of a pair of very familiar living wings.

When at last Starscream was on his feet again, what made matters all the more disturbing was that that lump of metal that had come through with him was Megatron himself, and the portal was nowhere to be seen. Only the swelling heat of the Predaking's chest took up Starscream's vision then, and the optics in the Predaking's head that were already filled with flame.

Starscream squeezed his optics shut and cringed.

#

Skywarp's split second timing through the portal would have made Starscream envious, but as it closed behind him once he was safely on the other side he did not have long to feel triumphant. He transformed immediately as he came inside and he dropped to the floor on his feet but he staggered. This was mostly because of the sudden vice-grip around his neck—the grip of Soundwave's tentacle.

Skywarp let out a strangled cry, and swiveled his optics to the blank visor over Soundwave's face. That was when he noticed that Megatron was nowhere around.

Had that truly been Megatron that he had seen whiz past him before entering the portal? Had Soundwave really forced him in?

Was that even possible?

Perhaps, only if Megatron truly had not been prepared. And how could he have been prepared for the betrayal of his most trusted accomplice, his most trusted servant, but Skywarp knew that it was Soundwave who felt betrayed. Megatron's madness had driven Soundwave too far.

Shockwave was standing there in silence. How much he knew of what Soundwave had been about to do before he had done it was beyond Skywarp, but it seemed that Shockwave had little intention of interfering with Soundwave's mutiny. Or if he did, he found it illogical to interfere yet.

"Who do you serve, Skywarp?" demanded Soundwave, and he truly did demand it in his own voice capacitator.

Skywarp was beginning to feel lightheaded from the energon blockage to his head, and he managed to wheeze out, "All hail Soundwave."

Then Soundwave dropped him to recover himself sprawled out on the floor.


	22. Shifting About

JMJ

TWENTY-TWO: SHIFTING ABOUT

At first, Megatron seemed to be in more of a state of shock than Starscream, who, with a scream to compliment his name, sprang upward into a shrieking jet and bolted away before the fire-blast shot forth from the Predaking's mouth. Yet just before the blast struck Megatron's wide-eyed face, Megatron suddenly and forcefully leapt to one side, just a little singed, but quite unhurt as he let out a growl.

Afraid of Megatron's wrath as much as the Predaking's, Starscream had to turn to see the outcome—to see if he could not be counted as a traitor too by abandoning his master. He almost felt a pang of regret that he had been going to betray him now that Soundwave had beat him to it. It somehow pained him to know that Soundwave had betrayed him, and he certainly felt incensed for Megatron's sake. At that moment he did not want Megatron to die. Truly he did not think he ever wanted him to die. A world without Megatron would take the other half that had already disappeared with the death of Optimus Prime!

" _Master_!" he cried in utter dismay.

But Megatron, whether he heard or not, had no interest in Starscream. His look of stupefied shock now turned into a bull's rage and a lion's wounded pride. His optics pierced a fiercer blaze than that even of the Predaking's.

Starscream could easily picture the unquenchable hatred boiling inside of him enough to burst his cisterns clean out of him—enough to burst his very spark asunder at the unthinkable betrayal of Soundwave. It made Starscream for a moment fear Megatron _more_ than he feared the Predaking, but the Predaking cared little about Megatron's thoughts and wasted no time in attacking since his volcanic flame had not phased his prey.

Starscream thought that it was at least fortunate that he had escaped that lock of the predator's optics, more purposeful than the hunter Lockdown's had ever been, but he was suddenly reminded that the Predaking was not simply king of the dead.

"How'd a little starsqueaker like you survive?!" cried a nasty voice behind him.

Again Starscream screamed, and he spun around in his hovering jet to face the smaller Predacons Darksteel and Skylynx standing on a ledge.

"He saw us! We could've had him!" snarled Skylynx.

Darksteel made as though to attack Skylynx but didn't.

"You won't escape this time, you little pixie bug!" laughed Darksteel with frightful determination. "I promise the Predaking that!"

Both transformed and were after the bolting Starscream in a shot on their impossible wings.

As fast as he could Starscream flew, but even still the Predacons were gaining.

Straight across the chasm, Starscream found the remains of an old Cybertronian structure jutting out to meet him, and Starscream was able to recall that he did have one advantage over the barbarians: a sophisticated tool!

 _The phase shifter_! He though desperately.

As the great thick wall came upon him, he gave his speed one extra thrust. He transformed, shooting the phase shifter from his cockpit. He caught it! It automatically took hold of his wrist. A fire blazed behind him, but he dove into the wall. The flames missed him just licking his heals as he came out the other side. A great crash sounded behind him as he tumbled into a debris-cluttered floor. By the growls and snarls, Starscream guessed that the crash had been the Predacons crashing into the wall after him.

In spite of himself Starscream chuckled as he scrambled to his feet.

"And people wonder why your race is extinct," he muttered with happy disdain.

Then he turned to leave. He had no intention of sticking around for the Predacons to go looking for him in there, phase shifter or no. So he took to the damaged corridor and found a tunnel leading underground. It would have been difficult to get to the tunnel without making a lot of noise blasting one's way through if it had not been for the phase shifter. With a delighted sneer he made his way downright merrily through the tunnel.

It looked like it had been used as a secret passage during the war, probably on the Autobot side, but it had obviously been discovered by the look of the damage to it. It also looked as if whoever was in the bunker attached to one side of the tunnel had been victim to the biological weapons thrown about after a time. Starscream could see no blast marks or bullet holes, only deteriorated, distorted remains of the deceased individuals.

They were not dangerous anymore as the rejuvenating of Cybertron cleansed all, but their bodies remained, and Starscream felt satisfied that he had survived and they had not. To prove his superiority he gave a good kick to a chest plate still bearing the Autobot symbol like a medal of honor.

"Ah, I _am_ a survivor!" Starscream snickered to himself as he continued on his way; though in the back of his mind he wondered still how Megatron fared against the Predaking.

He could only imagine the epic duel to the death that he could be missing at that very moment, an epic duel that no one might know existed like so many during the war.

What would happen if Megatron survived?

Well, nothing more unusual for Starscream than the other many times Megatron had survived except that his wrath would be on Soundwave instead of him. A better question was, what would happen if Megatron did not…?

Starscream shuddered to think both from disgust and a fear, for Soundwave did try to kill Starscream as well as Megatron. It was quite likely that if Starscream showed up again, he would try to kill him again. He was not sure he could convince Soundwave of his usefulness as he could Megatron. Soundwave had never liked him and, Starscream thought, he had always been envious of his position as second in command.

 _Hmm, maybe I can get Shockwave to vouch for me_ , Starscream thought.

But he could not worry about it now.

Besides, in Megatron's new form, it was highly possible that he would survive even if the Predaking won the battle. After all, Starscream had survived. Sometime later he may try to investigate the situation and see if Megatron was wounded somewhere. Then Starscream would make certain that his master would see that he was the more loyal of the two despite the past. Maybe he could even use spark to spark resuscitation, and then really prove his loyalty, but for now, he supposed finding a place to hunker down and some energon in this place was the best thing to do. Megatron would need energon, after all.

"It shouldn't be too hard," he muttered. "Cybertron should have mounds of energon. Rivers even! I just have to find it."

He was not exactly sure where he was going, and for a long time Starscream made his way about in dark tunnels and forgotten lairs. More than a day he wandered about in this was, and after a time he was becoming a bit weary and low on fuel. He did find a place where liquid raw energon was dripping from some old line, but it was no mother load. His ill luck was beginning to annoy him until at last he found a piece of large tubular piping that seemed to be in use.

There was no leaking from this piece of new machinery, but Starscream brightened immediately. That this tube carried energon he had not the slightest doubt, and he knew that if he followed it, he would eventually come to a place where the energon could be accessed without using the phase shifter to try to get it out or by damaging the tube.

Quickening his pace, he soon found that the tube went into a large wall of a foundation of a building. With the utmost care he scrambled up through the ground and out onto the surface. He was already not outside, but between an outer wall and an inner wall amidst wiring and skeletal beams. He would have been in utter darkness if it had not been for the glow of his own optics.

Now to see what was actually inside of the building.

He stuck his head inside and blinked at the sudden change from darkness to light, and not only light, but the light of day filtering from above. It was not too powerfully bright, but was a warm glow from which cast long lazy shadows.

Satisfied that he was alone, he stepped the full way through and onto a gleaming waxed floor. Just as he searched his memory banks for where he had seen such a building before he suddenly came face to face with a pair of piercing blue optics. Fear halted any physical or mental progress as he gasped at the sight of those half-closed lids, but only for a second as he realized even before his gasp had been released entirely that his fear had been unwarranted.

The optics; though no doubt truly so blue, were veiled in a full bubble of energon encased in a clear round sack just as the tiny body attached to the small but rather bulbous head in which the optics were held. The expression, which for a very short time, had appeared to be knowing and angry, now appeared to be a display of sleepy curiosity. The little unhatched Cybertronian was at a stage in its development when optics were in full use; though most of the time still closed. They would remain that way until the little one was ready to hatch, for the little mind inside was abuzz with activity as it processed all the information it would need to serve its attached body and be a center of intellect for its spark, not to mention the details of what the little Cybertronian would grow into in a very short span of time once hatched. A span of two weeks and usually no more was all it took for a Cybertronian to grow into what he would become. The strain would be enormous if the mind did not work so hard at this level when, although the body was complete in its smallness it appeared almost to be a blank doll. They could remain in this state for almost a year to process all that was needed, including the "common knowledge" inserted as soon as the young Cybertronian reached the beginning of this "processing stage" after the spark had been sufficiently surrounded by a relatively complete little body.

Starscream blinked widely, embarrassed that he had been frightened of a fresh spark, and he watched as the little round optics closed again and the head drooped into his chest as he returned to his processing. Then Starscream smiled in spite of himself.

"Ah, of course," he muttered to himself, and he looked about him at the place he had seen displayed on Soundwave's visor-screen not long ago. At least two dozen little egg-like sacks stuck out of the wall of this shelf-like structure in front of him. "I'm in the hatchery."

His smile grew as a sudden new thought occurred to him, and he tapped his chin thoughtfully.

" _Hmm_ , I always wanted my own protégé," he murmured, glancing again at the little one inside its warm and cozy energon ball and who had quite forgotten about Starscream, but this one was not right.

His shape proved that he would be best suited for a ground vehicle, most likely a fairly large one at that. Every one of them on this shelf appeared to be the same. In fact they nearly did look exactly the same. He had to go find where they kept the ones suited for flight.

He stopped at a small refueling station for the hatchlings when they first hatched on the outer wall through which he had come, and he stooped down to replenish his own supply of energon rather greedily. Then stepping out into the aisle between shelves lining on both sides, he was just thinking what the best way would be to take one of the infants while bringing no harm to it, but he did not have long to ponder. He heard just then a definite scuffle on the other side of the hatchery.

An unseen door opened, and for a second or two, Starscream again froze, but he quickly darted behind one of the shelves. There were footsteps, which moved slowly and steadily, but not heavily, and then they stopped.

Starscream paused. There were no voices. It was safe to say that whoever entered had come alone. It then occurred to him that this was the test subject he had been waiting for. No one would suspect an enemy to come from within the hatchery. It would be easy.

With the phase shifter on one wrist and the mind control device in the other hand, he was ready.

As quietly as he could he pursued the spot where the footsteps had come from and stopped. There was a glow of light in a shadow on the furthest end of the dome-shaped hatchery. The afternoon sun made the glow inside nearly ethereal, especially how it glinted now and then between shadows usually upon the spheres of energon, so that sometimes a reflection of blue tiny bubbles would strike the floor. Amidst this pleasant atmosphere, Starscream grew more and more confident so that by the time he reached the spot where he dared to peak around the corner of a shelf; he felt that nothing could stop this from working.

He turned with care, and he was quite surprised to find that he was staring at the back of Knock Out with a handheld computer that he was glancing through. In his surprise Starscream almost said his name out loud, but he remained silent. He should not feel uneasy about this, after all. This only made it easier. Knock Out could not shoot at him and was not quite as good of a fighter as, say, Bumblebee or even Arcee when she was not being too emotional, and Knock Out had a way of not paying attention to the world around him when he was comfortable and working. He looked very comfortable and very much casually about his work.

All Starscream had to do was make his move. He sneered most wickedly.

 _Poor unsuspecting Knock Out,_ he thought.


	23. Shifting Worlds

JMJ

TWENTY-THREE: SHIFTING WORLDS

Megatron took a lunge at the massive and powerful genetically remade beast that was the Predaking. Nothing else mattered around him. How long they fought, he had not the slightest. Centuries may have passed as he and the Predaking fought their battle. Perhaps they would fight it for eternity through shifting eras, generations of Cybertronians, through wind and storm, and meteors pelting around them or the ground beneath them opening up to swallow them. For in his rage, though he was burnt, leaking energon, and damaged in several spots (as was the Predaking) he felt neither weariness nor pain. At least, when he did feel these things his mind soon went numb to it, for even in his wildest passion, he knew that he was slowing down.

The Predaking had moved the fight to the top of the towering cliffs surrounding the dry seabed that had once been the gravesite of his ancient ancestors and subjects that he never knew. He had managed to fly away with Megatron and slam him hard onto the ground at the top.

They were both of them, they found to their surprise, evenly matched. One was no better than the other; though what gave them their strengths and weaknesses were vastly different. Their mindsets, though in violent rage, were of a different sort. The Predaking was in the earth below him, and his rage was an earthy rage. He felt every stone that hit his body. He smelled and heard his living subjects chasing after Starscream and their fury when they lost him. The sky above and the cold air around them all accumulated and gave his rage further fuel as he saw with pure instinct and felt with his full feral senses every movement of the battle. The present was all around him in animal brutishness or perhaps simple wisdom. Megatron, meanwhile and at this point, was nearly as carnal in his instinctive fighting, but that was all. The only thing he saw at all around him was the Predaking. All else he saw was within his mind.

The betrayal of Soundwave. The cowardliness of Starscream. The death of Optimus Prime. The survival of Bumblebee. It was a changing world, he lived in— a universe, he realized, that he no longer understood. He no longer desired to understand it. His mind raged on his destiny that the stars lied to him was his alone; for, yes, he knew that whether he had once had the opportunity to lead his people, he no longer had it. The Decepticons were a failure!

He fought harder and harder now. Even the Predaking had to back up a little to regain his bearing against him. Even the Predaking was beginning to think Megatron mad.

Maybe he was mad. It occurred to Megatron then. Maybe he had always been mad. Maybe their whole race was mad, the consequence of being so powerful. Certainly all the Decepticons were mad. The only person he could think of now that had not been mad was perhaps Optimus Prime.

 _Optimus Prime!_ he thought after again being shoved into the ground from one of the Predaking's massive blows. _Even when you're dead, I cannot defeat you._

For a moment he almost imagined it was Optimus and not the Predaking that had just nearly knocked him unconscious and made his optics flicker. Though, he quickly realized again that his adversary was the Predaking, another of his failed plans. Oh, he could blame it on Shockwave all he wanted he knew, but he knew he had desired its success just as much as Shockwave had. His whole life was a failed experiment.

He hated this thought above all others, and a determination tried to flare up to fight it. He had been given a chance to stop the fighting, but he had chosen to continue it.

 _And it should not surprise me_ , he thought, _that this is where I end up._

He may have recovered from his despair had he been given the chance, and it is likely he would have not wished his death had he been in better health and the pain and weariness was not leaking through his numbness nor had he not been so dizzy and groggy from lack of energon, but the Predaking would not give Megatron a chance to recuperate. The second Megatron let his guard down, the Predaking made for the kill, and as swiftly as he could, he ripped out Megatron spark in one movement of his great jaws and teeth.

The optics went out blazing red no more after several attempts to flicker back to full vigor, but the Predaking would make certain that no one would be able to revive the god of war and lofty ideals that could never be achieved. The Predaking made certain to pull all the many pieces asunder from Megatron's body before he collapsed in exhaustion himself, but he was satisfied that he had, as he saw it, rid the universe of one of its chief evils.

#

At first Knock Out was a little annoyed. After all, the war hero did not need to be stuck with babysitting, but he did not actually take care of hatchlings often. Others did that. Knock Out just had to monitor the energon sacks and the prehatched sparks. He was also given the duty of first medical exams when one of them did hatch, but a newly hatched Cybertronian checkup was rather relaxing compared to trying to fix up gruff, angry fighting machines. They were a little scared, actually, since they did not recognize him or his voice as they did Arcee and Smokescreen and even Ultra Magnus.

At first that did not bother him, but he found that after a time it was rather amusing to talk to them inside their bubbles before they hatched as had been suggested by Arcee so that they would recognize him when they hatched. Most of the time they did not react, but their voice recognition was intact by this stage, and after a few times of chatting idly at them as he made the rounds, he sometimes saw that they seemed to relax more than they already had been. Sometimes they would open a sleepy optic or two at him. Once one even smiled, and Knock Out felt rather pleased as well as amused.

It was a quiet, clean, and rewarding job, he soon found. It was a lot easier than taking care of them once they woke up and began bouncing around in the nursery. From the little he did see of them, they were almost insane with that short amount of time allotted them to grow to their full height. And although one or two was not so bad, a whole school of them was becoming a difficult chore as there were so few adults.

Sometimes Knock Out did have to watch them, but Flare-Up, pretty much fully matured physically and more mature by personality than some, was a practical and unfailing help. She would probably end up head nurse. Though, Knock Out also had to admit that despite how they bounced about, he was growing rather fond to the little creatures both prehatched and hatched even if he preferred his quiet job for now.

The talk of actually giving him some of his own hatchlings to care for was not exactly his idea of a reward for his job well done, but so far it was only talk. Knock Out did not let it bother him either way. Nothing could soil his high spirits.

While others kept a look out for the return of Megatron or his cronies, Knock Out was quite content knowing that he was not one of those cronies the Autobots had to look out for. No. He had helped to defeat an enemy, and a major one at that, and he felt confident that it would not be long before Cybertron would be peaceful again as it once had been for so many generations before the Fall and the War that followed.

Maybe it was the warm glow from the windowed dome. Maybe it was the sight of the future generation so content and eager for their time, but sometimes Knock Out felt as though that future was now despite the sickly challenge of Megatron. His time was over. Why could he not see that?

Knock Out shook his head as he came through the door into the hatchery dome little knowing that Starscream was in there too.

 _He should just give it up if he knows what's good for him_ , Knock Out thought with a careless shrug and a sage smile. _But if he hasn't given up yet he'll probably drag it out until he starts burning more than energon._

He lifted his handheld computer and set it up for the rounds, scanning the sacks and their valuables to make sure nothing was wrong or to find out if one was ready to hatch, but just as he was about to turn, he heard someone approaching quite suddenly and quite near. He could barely look to see in his mild curiosity who was here, before he felt the hand grip his head—no! through his head! Long cold digits had gripped his very brain!

He froze and clenched his teeth tightly together.

What could he do besides that? He was at the mercy of that hand.

"Ah, Knock Out," hissed the most familiar and unpleasant voice of none other than Starscream. "It's funny that I find you here doing the hatchling work for the Autobots like a good little reformed Decepticon."

In spite of his fear, Knock Out frowned with annoyance.

"Starscream," he said and he almost started to smile. "And you found the phase shifter, I see. Wily, aren't you?"

Starscream snickered. "Be careful. I was just about to warn you that if you make any suspicious movements or say anything that might annoy me too much I will rip your brain modules out of your skull."

The frown returned.

"What do you want, Starscream?" Knock Out asked dryly but did not suppress his terrified cringe when Starscream fingered his brain modules tauntingly, so that when Knock Out spoke again he spoke quite nervously, "Can we talk about this with your hand _outside_ of my head like civilized people?"

" _Shh_ ," hissed Starscream, "I want a little respect from you, but I'll be sure to get it. You're going to be the first victim of my mind control experiment."

"Mind control?" demanded Knock Out, almost forgetting for a few seconds about the danger to his brain modules.

"You're correct in one thing," mocked Starscream, "there are some interesting things on Earth like MECH's secret mind control device. Too bad for them they never got a chance to use it."

"Well that explains what you were doing there," muttered Knock Out, and then he said, "You can't be serious. Even if it works, I'm sure his worship would be less than thrilled to hear you're running around trying to suppress the wills of people. I thought that was the one thing he kept to his vow."

"Lord Megatron doesn't have to know and probably won't," said Starscream. He paused, and although Knock Out tried to look to see what Starscream was doing, Starscream's grip retightened and Knock Out was forced to stare out ahead again.

Oh, was it too much to ask that he could stall Starscream before Smokescreen or Arcee showed up. It was an embarrassing predicament to be sure, but somehow he had to get away from this lunatic. Knock Out's mind went racing to try to come up with a solution.

"You sound so confident," said Knock Out. "And what are you going to mind control me to do, exactly? The Autobots aren't going to fall for it for long. Their trust in _me_ could vanish pretty quickly."

"And you sound so smug, as usual," retorted Starscream, "but no more. You won't have to worry. It'll be long enough to get some damage in."

The other hand went inside Knock Out's head, and in impulse he moved to try to escape him, but he felt the gadget in his head. He felt it, and Starscream released his brain of his own accord.

Terror gripped Knock Out then.

Had Starscream really now power over his mind? Was he really now defenseless and a slave to the will of Starscream of all people? _Really_?! All his hard work, all his good deeds, everything he did? And then he gets mind controlled by Starscream!?

 _What kind of irony is that_? He thought miserably.

"Now you will call me 'master'!" hissed Starscream.

Knock Out spun around to face Starscream. He had to admit he did not feel any different. He did not feel compelled to called Starscream anything but "loser", really, but he suddenly realized that he could not let Starscream know that even if he was not sure about it himself.

He made his optics look as vacant as he could. He let his mouth go ajar like a groggy human about to drool. Stooping over into the most servile stance that he could, he copied the most typical form of old-movie groveling that Knock Out knew Starscream would not recognize as Igor-like.

"Yes, Master," he slurred.

Starscream looked delighted, and that was just what Knock Out needed, but he still had to get away. He still had to stop him, and Starscream had the phase shifter. He had to wait until he was completely unaware.

"Good, slave," said Starscream, but he paused suddenly. He studied Knock Out carefully, and Knock Out blinked as stupidly as he could muster as he gazed as though he was a vampire's victim into the optics of Starscream. "I need to make sure."

Starscream tapped his chin, and then smiled.

Knock Out knew what he was going to do before he did it. And he had been just allowed to change his automobile back into his good old Striker too. It took every ounce of will power to keep from reacting, when Starscream took a claw and with the most obnoxious, wormy little grin, he slashed Knock Out across the chest. The pleasure Starscream took in this action made Knock Out want to lunge at him right then and there and rip off his head, but he didn't. He barely flinched, and just continued to stare at Starscream like the hypnotized victim he was pretending to be while inside he boiled and bristled.

 _Just you wait, Starscream, you won't be laughing long_ , Knock Out thought darkly.

"Hmm," said Starscream nodding with satisfaction. "Come, Knock Out. We'll get that buffed out so no one's suspicious of you, and then I will commence with my plan."

"Yes, Master," said Knock Out stupidly. "Thank you, Master."

"It'll be hard to get you to actually have a conversation with someone, but I suppose I'll at least have a use for your body, anyway," said Starscream with disappointment, but he shrugged and turned then with his hands wrapped behind his back in a common posture for Starscream.

For a few seconds Knock Out watched, but he stepped after Starscream right at his heals as he led the way along the aisle between the rows of energon sacks. Many of the shelves were empty on this side of the dome, but they soon came to the unhatched said again. They had not gone midway along the aisle, when again Starscream paused. At first Knock Out thought Starscream was going to try another test on Knock Out, but his attention was drawn into one of the rows.

"The flights," said Starscream then, and what he would say next would finalize Knock Out's decision to strike now, "before we go, I need to find myself a decent protégé. A flight too, I won't stand for a—"

Faster than Knock Out knew himself capable he used his saw blade to slice through both Starscream's hands still held loosely behind his back, and before Starscream knew what happened or could turn around completely to face Knock Out, Knock Out took his electro staff, spear end out, and pierced Starscream through as hard as he could into what happened to be the upper abdomen.

Down Starscream fell with an agonized cry as the electricity pulsed through his writhing body flat on his back into the row of destined flights.

"Oh, Starscream!" scoffed Knock Out. "A sidekick would probably turn on you anyway."

"You tricked me!" Starscream growled.

Knock Out shocked him again as Starscream desperately tried to push the staff away with his handless wrists. It was not nearly as strong as the electrocuting pronged side of his staff, but it was more than enough to stop Starscream from his pitiful attempt to escape as he let out a miserable cry.

Writhing and gasping and whimpering, Starscream squealed, "Stop! Please! I beg you!"

Without removing the staff, Knock Out carefully stooped down to pick up the phase shifter. He reached into his head and removed the mind control devise. While he was occupied with this, again Starscream tried to escape. He even tried to shoot his missiles, but he could not without his hands. He could not even fire his lasers without his hands there to be part of the transforming laser guns. Again Knock Out shocked his insides and Starscream moaned in agony.

"There!" gasped Starscream once the device was out of Knock Out's head. "You're free. Now let me go for old time's sake and I vow to never return to this place! If I even survive what you've done to me."

Knock Out callously rolled his optics, and instead of letting up he wriggled the spear in Starscream guts. The energon that was already leaking began to spill out onto the floor as Starscream again cried out and whimpered through clenched teeth.

"Oh, calm down, Starscream," Knock Out said lightly as he glanced at the gadget in his free hand. "You always were such a whiny and impatient patient. How about I show you how this device works. You see, you have to actually insert it into the right spot in the brain; though I'll admit that it could be damaging to some of the modules. I don't think that the humans were aware of the delicateness of brain modules. We'll have to remove your helm first and get into the skull to put it in properly."

Starscream went deathly silent as he registered what Knock Out was saying, and Knock Out felt very satisfied to see the terror in Starscream's quivering optics. Only emotion ran Knock Out now, and the only thought that could truly be translated into words was a matter-of-fact statement, _It serves him right._

"What are you going to do?" Starscream wheezed, his panting now returning and quickening. "You can't be serious."

Knock Out leaned over Starscream's prone and writhing body, and went to Starscream's head. He reached out a hand turned saw blade.

"No!" wailed Starscream, his voice capacitator was already becoming weak from the energon still spilling from his fuel system. "You're crazy!" He laughed rather hysterically. "Knock Out! You're an Autobot now! Think about what Optimus Prime would say! I'll do anything!"

Knock Out laughed. "That trick might have worked on him, but it won't work on me, Starscream. You'll do or say anything to save your own casing. Now hold still, this may sting."

"No! Knock Out! Stop! I'm begging you from the bottom of my spark! The others won't like it! Stop!" screamed Starscream.

"They don't have to know," sneered Knock Out, and he chuckled again aiming his saw blade right between Starscream's optics.

Starscream squeezed his optics shut and cringed, but suddenly Knock Out stopped. At last his mind caught up with the heat of the moment about what he was about to do. Somehow he felt that he had woken from a deep coma of stasis as he looked down at Starscream writhing and shivering below him.

The Decepticons had already mind controlled him in a sense, hadn't they?

After a shivering pause of his own he pulled the staff from Starscream's inner workings and stood upright.

For the first time, as he looked back down at Starscream, he thought that perhaps he understood what Optimus Prime felt when he could not take Starscream's life. He was just too pitiful and stupid a creature to kill in such a state. Although anyone in such a state would be too prone to kill, and pleasurable torture was what he had been about to perform.

Starscream opened one optic and looked around fearfully before opening the other and leaping to one side like a frightened rabbit. Regardless he could not flee like a rabbit as he instantly stumbled and fell against the back of the next shelf. Panting and gasping and wiping energon oozing from his mouth, he leered weakly at Knock Out and grabbed at his leaking abdomen, but Knock Out was not looking at him. He was looking at the hatchlings still rigid and fearful from all the violence and the noise, and Knock Out sighed irritably.

Sure, it was unlikely that the hatchlings would recall this as anything more than a faded unpleasant dream once they hatched, but Knock Out felt more awful still.

"What are you going to do?" Starscream cracked as he sunk to the floor in pain and weariness.

Knock Out blinked, and turned to Starscream. He examined his body and the energon on the floor. It was only then that he noticed how much of Starscream's energon was on himself, and Knock Out made an expression of extreme distaste.

 _Never again_ , he thought, and he knew in his spark that he never would again.

"Starscream," he muttered, "you're apparently good for something. I have to give you credit for that."

Starscream was good at making people realize what they should _not_ be almost as much as Optimus had been good at making people realize what they should be. After having allowed himself to be influenced by both of these forces, Knock Out felt he had gained something that day and that he was now a far wiser Cybertronian. He was at least satisfied with that even though that did not exactly solve what to do at present.

He supposed that the Autobots would not be very pleased to discover what he had been about to do, even if another thing Starscream was good at was bringing out the worst in people.

"Why didn't you kill me?" Starscream pressed, not understanding in the least what Knock Out's words meant.

"Why?" demanded Knock Out, surprisingly composed. "Do you want me to?"

" _No_!" Starscream gasped, and he winced as though this meant that Knock Out would do just that, but Knock Out shook his head.

"If you were any less cowardly, Starscream," he said with full sage seriousness. "You would have been offline. A long time ago."

Without another word, despite Starscream's resentful whimpering, Knock Out put his electro staff away. He dropped the mind control devise and broke it easily with the brunt of his foot. Then with promptness that befitted his station as a doctor, he picked up Starscream's dismembered hands and began to carefully drag Starscream himself out of the row and into the aisle. He did not stop in his steady pace as he continued to drag him to the door of the hatchery and Smokescreen burst in to see what the commotion had been.

He staggered as Knock Out passed him without a word and idly brought Starscream to the door.

"What happened?!" gasped Smokescreen.

At last Knock Out stopped. "Here," he said lightly handing the phase shifter to him. "This belongs to you, I believe. I'm taking Starscream into the medical center before he can be taken to the grown up hospital. He is in danger of leaking to death here. You wouldn't mind taking over here for me for a while, would you?"

The phase shifter too had a little bit of energon on it, and Smokescreen took it reluctantly.


	24. Bad Habits

JMJ

TWENTY-FOUR: BAD HABITS

Knock Out could hear the little voices of the hatchlings whispering and shushing each other as he came out into the corridor with Starscream. They were coming from the main hall from their own corridor that led to the nursery, and he turned promptly to the medical wing after pretending not to notice them. He could hear their gasps as they saw the moaning and wounded heap he carried behind him.

"Hey!" said a voice still low but above the others, and here Knock Out did briefly turn to see Flare Up shooing the smaller ones back to where they had come from, but she did glance around the corner of the nursery wing herself. No more than a hatchling, despite how she looked nearly full-grown, she looked down at Starscream with horror and glanced briefly and questioningly at Knock Out. Knock Out only shrugged as a response to show that he was taking care of it and did not have time to stand around.

As he turned a second time, he could hear Flare Up turn around too, as she followed the little hatchlings back to the nursery.

"Hatchlings," coughed Starscream with annoyance.

Knock Out smiled.

In the medical center, he took Starscream to the largest table. Some of the young ones would get larger than Starscream before they were fully matured. Those were not hatched yet. Most likely they wouldn't for some time either so this table would be all for Starscream for some time. Hopefully they would not need this table anyway whether Starscream was on it or not.

Knock Out pushed a button on the side of the wall near the table and a thin but shielding wall slid out and blocked the table from view of anyone else that may come in. It was the last table too, which made it convenient that way.

Starscream was too weak now to do much of anything but whimper, but Knock Out could still see from time to time the rage in his optics. Knock Out ignored him, and soon enough had him in stasis anyway.

He opened him up where he had stabbed him and surveyed the damage.

" _Oof_ ," grumbled Knock Out. "I sure got him good. At least he'll be happy to know his T-cog survived the onslaught."

It would be better to hook him up to energon now instead of trying to fix all of his fuel system. There was a machine that would process it in the way his body would so that it would bypass the fuel system temporarily to allow Knock Out to work on it and still keep Starscream alive. Hooking him up to life readings he saw that his spark was still relatively strong considering the damage. As his doctor, Knock Out was pleased to see that his spark retained its usual vigor in the face of impairment. It was an obstinate thing much like Starscream himself. He should recover well as he usually did.

Then Knock Out hooked up the medical lines to Starscream and filled the machine with energon to work it through well enough to go safely through Starscream's lines to the rest of his functioning body.

There was also the matter of electrocution, which thankfully had not been enough to disrupt his spark, but had done some damage to his insides. The more energon the better to sooth and moist the burns so that they could quickly heal. It seemed in some areas, according to his handheld device that there were old burns just recently near full recovery, probably from a previous attack or accident before Megatron's arrival onto the scene again. That would make this recovery a little more painful than it otherwise would have been.

"You sure know how to get yourself into trouble, Starscream," Knock Out remarked.

Once he made initial progress and Starscream was stabilized, he cleaned Starscream off, because he was still covered in his own energon. He then proceeded to clean himself off last, and he realized the irony in that. After all that time working as a doctor on the _Nemesis_ and not being allowed to put himself first for fear of Megatron's wrath, now that he was free he had still put cleaning up Starscream before his own paint, and he smiled wryly. Though, he did put himself before cleaning up the floor so that no hatchling would have to wonder why there were streaks of energon in the medical center or staining along the corridor floor like some horror movie. Smokescreen had taken care of the hatchery like he had hoped, and the cleanup was none too soon, for there was at that moment a hatchling hatched.

But as he was just about to enter the medical center with the little one cupped in his hands, he heard something alive and well moving about inside and voices. He made a face, and put his head to the door to listen.

"I wonder what happened to him," said one small voice to another.

"Do you think he's almost dead?" asked another just a touch more quietly than his companion. "Look at all the stuff they hooked up to him."

Knock Out rolled his eyes but smiled wryly. The freshly hatched hatchling in his hands looked up at him curiously and a little uneasily.

"Just a minute," he said ever so quietly as he set him gently on the floor next to the door. "This could get ugly."

The little one nodded but said nothing.

"Wait here," Knock Out told him with a wink and a digit to his lips.

The little one smiled shyly and nodded and copied the gesture of putting a digit to his own mouth.

Thus, in pranced Knock Out.

"So," he said so casually that both the hatchlings, spying on Starscream through a crack they had made by sliding the movable wall into it slot a little ways to see in, jumped nearly clean out of their outer casings. They were midway in growth and that was when they were the nosiest Knock Out had come to find. They were probably the same little rascals that Flare Up had shooed away earlier. "Are you new assistants here to help me in there?"

This question surprised them even more, and they looked at each other speechlessly.

"I mean, you're not here just to look at a half dead Cybertronian criminal, are you?"

"We're sorry, Knock Out," said the second one that Knock Out had heard speak. "We can go. We just wanted to see."

"We've never seen someone like him before," said the first who was not as easily intimidated as his friend. "Smokescreen said you and he had a battle and that he's a bad guy. Starscream?"

"Yes, he's a bad guy," said Knock Out quite amused. "But I'm still going to go in there and fix him up. It's the only right thing to do, don't you agree? So. I have a new little hatchling waiting for me right outside the door. I have things to do, but you can stay and right when I'm done with him you can help me with Starscream if you want to."

The first winced curiously. "Really?"

"Sure. It's very fascinating. You can hold the old, worn out, half burned lines while I put in the new ones. Then we have to be careful, of course, while we make our way around the spark chamber, and you can hold the boiler to one side while I work on the cisterns and…" Knock Out smiled. His trick had worked well enough.

"No, that's okay," said the first. "I think we'll just go back to the nursery. Arcee won't be happy if she finds out we snuck off."

Both he and his companion looked rather ill, especially his companion.

"Are you sure?" asked Knock Out. "I'll explain that you were being of use to me."

The second shook his head quickly, but the first smiled.

"No, that's okay," he said again, and quickly the two rascals left the medical center.

"He's scary," whispered the second to the first as they hurried down the hall. The first only laughed; though nervously.

Knock Out then picked up the little one still waiting impatiently by the door, and he looked up at Knock Out again with uncertainty.

" _Are_ you scary?" he asked.

"Not as scary as Starscream," muttered Knock Out, but he smiled kindly at the little thing.

"Oh," said the hatchling; though he did not understand he looked convinced that Knock Out was just as kind as the other adults.

In fact after being left in the corridor the little hatchling had become rather clingy, and wanted to stay in Knock Out's hand before he was set on the table, or maybe he was just nervous of the table itself. Many of them were. It was a little like being put into a spotlight, but Arcee was at the door then suddenly ready to take the little one to the nursery, and her presence (since the little one recognized her voice more) was comforting and calmed him down more. She was very good with the hatchlings.

Arcee watched Knock Out with a strange smile as Knock Out tried to console him with the fact that Arcee was here too, and he was extremely gentle himself.

"What?" he asked when the hatchling was returned to her.

"Nothing," she said; she caressed the hatchling eager for her arms. "You just really have changed, Knock Out."

"I hope so," said Knock Out lightly behind half closed lids and a lazy smile; though he did suddenly feel a little guilty about what he had almost down to Starscream. He glanced then idly back at the wall behind which Starscream lay.

"Don't worry," she said in full seriousness. "I think I know what happened and…I can't say I've done any better once. I might have done worse had it been allowed to me, but you stopped yourself. It's hard. I know. It must be harder after living with Decepticons for so long. It's hard enough when you haven't."

Knock Out listened with optics wide, but as Arcee finished he smiled again.

"Well, Starscream is a difficult case, but I do believe I do have a handle on it, and if you have a handle on Starscream, I suppose that's a good step, wouldn't you say? Besides he's hurt you far more than he's hurt me. I just have a lot of bad habits. You're the one who's too hard on yourself, I think."

Arcee turned away with a stranger but quite sincere sort of smile. "You _really_ have changed, Knock Out," she said. Turning to him once more she added wryly. "Even if you only left the Decepticons at the time because Starscream was annoying, I think it's far more than that now."

"Well, what can I say, I have plenty of good examples to rub off on me _here_ ," remarked Knock Out. "Now if you excuse me, I have a patient to attend to."


	25. Autobot Vs Decepticon

JMJ

TWENTY-FIVE: AUTOBOT VS. DECEPTICON

" _Starscream," said Optimus Prime, "you now have a chance to lead the Decepticons to peace."_

 _High above a harsh wind sung shrilly across the vent opening on Starscream's motionless body as he sat upon his throne. It stood atop a mighty, dagger-sharp tower, however drab and gloomy it also was, and he overlooked Optimus with a slow smile. His wings twitched, and he blinked with amusement. He rose to his feet and leaned leisurely on his scepter. His black and red cloak; though ragged, blew majestically behind him now released from the seat._

" _Oh, yes," said Starscream, tipping his crown like a fedora. "We'll have peace, as soon as you fall at my feet and bow before me in uncompromising homage."_

 _Optimus looked at Starscream wearily, sadly even, and Starscream felt satisfied. Truly he did. There was nothing he liked better than knowing that he could make a Prime suffer._

 _Optimus turned, and Starscream's smile fell as he watched him begin to leave. Suddenly the wind began to feel very cold. Earth-like snowflakes began to blow into his face. A fear fell upon him that he was all alone, and his kingdom was nothing more than that empty tower in which he stood. No subjects. No servants. It was only him and the wrath of those who called him their enemy. He could feel them waiting for the moment when Optimus would no longer be on the scene._

 _Starscream almost felt guilt and a shiver went through him straight to the spark._

 _He dropped his scepter and raced down the steps of the tower as that looming fear like an invisible enemy of great size swooped behind him. Optimus' pace was slow though steady, and Starscream could easily catch up. He tripped and fell just paces behind Optimus, and Optimus stopped and turned to look upon the groveling heap of metal before him._

 _Starscream looked up at Optimus with the sun shining blindingly behind him so that he was nearly a silhouette except for the gleam from his blue optics. Starscream bowed his head and did not pick himself up, as he closed his optics and cringed._

" _Please, Optimus Prime, have mercy," said Starscream throwing his crown before his feet. He threw his cloak off beside it. "Have mercy. I know now my place and never again will I try to set myself up as ruler over anyone. I have nothing left. I'm broken and fallen. Please, if you have any mercy left in your spark I…"_

 _Slowly he lifted his head, but it was not Optimus who was looking down at him but Megatron, his pride and magnificence at its zenith. He almost looked amused. This frightened Starscream more than his wrath._

" _How fickle you are," said Megatron, kicking the crown off to the side like a tin can. "Decepticon king, is it? Or Optimus' crony now?"_

" _Agh!" cried Starscream and still on hand and knees he scuttled back from him. "Lord Megatron! Master! You survived!"_

" _Know this, dear Starscream," said Megatron, "Our positions shall never again be reversed."_

 _He lifted his blaster arm and fired. Starscream could not so much as squeak as he was blinded by the flash. Every cell of his body melted away with one last painful cry. He was no more, and Megatron stood as before. Majestic. Proud. Cruel. He turned without once looking back…_

"Oh, Starscream…!" said a voice almost sing-songy.

He recognized it instantly as Knock Out's.

Starscream's optics shot open and he shot upward himself into almost a seated position. He was in a cut off corner of a medical wing. The lighting was comfortably dim, but not dark and drab as the medical bay in the _Nemesis_. It was rather reminiscent, in fact, of the soft glow of the hatchery. The translucent skylight filtering in just the right amount of sun was probably responsible for it.

"Careful," said Knock Out promptly adjusting something on a computer screen. "You're in no condition for stress or sudden movements."

Starscream allowed himself to fall back against the table with a clank, and he squeezed his optics shut.

"And am I ever _not_ in such a condition," he groaned bitterly.

The full extent of his pain and weakness crashed upon him like a wave after the vibration of his body with the table had settled. He saw that energon intake was all being done by machine. His fuel system was mangled to a grotesque degree he could only imagine, and the rest of his body would have been wracked aside from having been electrocuted from the inside.

"Oh, Starscream, don't talk like that. You're recovering well," said Knock Out. "If anything you should be grateful for the strength of your spark. I'll admit I've never run across one stronger in my profession as a doctor; though I haven't exactly been a doctor for very long, and you've been one of my main patients."

Starscream opened his optics again quite irritably. He let out a sickening growl, and he wheezed slightly from the strain on his partly-burned voice capacitator.

"No thanks to you," he hissed. "What's the idea of bringing me to the brink of termination and then bringing me here to cure me just to mock me?"

"I have no intention of mocking you," Knock Out replied. "I have full intention of bringing you back to health with my sincerest apologies for the misunderstanding between us in the hatchery. I may have went too far, but you weren't about to be allowed to mind control people and brainwash hatchlings that may or may not survive your lifestyle before they reach maturity."

"Oh, is that it?" muttered Starscream; he paused darkly glancing up at the translucent window above him and hating it.

Yes, hating it. He hated the cheeriness of the room. It mocked him. It mocked his pain much in the same way Knock Out's chipper manner was doing.

"I just thought," said Knock Out, "that it was high time to release you from stasis for a while, before your burns have healed enough for me to replace a couple of the parts for your fuel system."

"Oh, I understand, Knock Out," Starscream retorted; though weakly. "You would have been under scrutiny had you actually managed to rip open my skull and counted out my brain modules. They certainly would not have trusted you then. You're not fooling me. You're only here to save your own casing, and you know it!"

Knock Out appeared to be ignoring him, but having been under his medical care long enough, Starscream did not think that what Knock Out was doing was necessary that absolute second and that he was purposely avoiding him despite how chipper he sounded.

Starscream snorted and relaxed. It took too much power to tense his body in any way forcing him to remain calmer than he felt.

"You only joined the Autobots," he muttered, "because it was easier and no other reason, just as you only remained with the Decepticon Cause because it was easier. Loyalty to a side means more than just when it's convenient."

"And you're talking to me about loyalty, Starscream?" remarked Knock Out.

"I may not have always been loyal to superiors or plans," groaned Starscream, "but no one can ever say that I have _ever_ been disloyal to the Cause. No one."

"And that 'cause' would be?" asked Knock Out turning to him now rather lightly; though at least he was not smiling anymore.

"Don't play stupid, Knock Out!" flustered Starscream almost forgetting his pain until he tried to lift himself up again. He dropped in the same manner as he had the first time and closed his optics with an irritated and mournful moan. When he opened his optics again he said, "Have you no pity on those in agony?"

"You don't," Knock Out pointed out candidly. "If I was in your position, you probably would have already terminated me, and as far as me not being loyal to the Autobots, you are entirely at my mercy. If you died here, and I allowed it on purpose, no one would know that I did it, you understand."

"If Lord Megatron came to you and brought you back to him you would be his servant yet again," said Starscream after an uneasy pause.

Knock Out had to think about that one. At last Starscream felt he had got him and made him feel uneasy. At last Starscream had the satisfaction of disturbing Knock Out's confidence, and he deserved it after what had happened.

"I don't think so," said Knock Out then rather more confident sounding than if he had spoken bolder and more forceful.

Starscream made a small cry of disappointment.

"You're just hurt and grumpy," said Knock Out, "and that's no conduct for a person who's supposed to be having healing thoughts. Besides, I don't even think you remember what the Decepticon Cause is. The Decepticons throw the phrase about like it means something, but all I've ever heard it used for is an excuse to get away with whatever they want and to prove some sort of a camaraderie that they don't really have. And what Cause? As far as I can see the only one left of the Cause is you. Not even Megatron seems to have a Cause anymore that means anything if he's crazy."

"The Cause, Knock Out," said Starscream, "in case you forgot, is about every Cybertronian proving their own mettle to a united whole in one goal in which no one (except those in charge) is better than anyone else. No castes or games of chance on lives. Just the masters strong enough to reach that position and everyone else."

"I see," said Knock Out innocently. "I thought it was about equality for everyone."

"I have nothing to prove to an alien obsessed traitor," Starscream growled. "I will fight for my Cause until the last flicker of my spark—something you wouldn't understand! You're the one with the problem, not me. You don't even know what you are."

Again Knock Out tried to ignore him. Starscream assumed it was because he had got him again, but really it was Knock Out trying to hold his tongue, a difficult task to be sure when it was so easy to beat Starscream in word games and get him tongue-tied. He had already riled him up more than he had meant to.

"And as for camaraderie," Starscream added darkly, "it's not like you understand that either seeing that you abandoned everything Breakdown fought for after you tortured what was left of his body in the name of revenge."

#

Knock Out stiffened. He could not help it.

Oh, did Starscream know how to get under someone's casing!

A rage flickered in his optics as he leered at the broken creature lying there, as he had just said himself, at his mercy. Starscream was so helpless and so contradicting in his smugness as he smiled faintly with the satisfaction that he had touched a sore spot. He wondered if it was not better to put the worm out of its misery. But the thought of killing Starscream was fleeting this time. He had already learned his mistake and he certainly was not going to fall for it a second time.

Starscream would just be locked up once he was well anyway, and after all, he could have easily told Starscream right then and there that being a Decepticon had gotten him nowhere but pain and agony, and now he was all alone and probably the most despised Cybertronian to date apart from Lockdown and he was dead now. He could have said that all the things he accused Knock Out of being, he was just that much more so. He had no loyalties, no home, not a friend to his name. He was only describing himself, and as for what Knock Out did to Silas in Breakdown's body in the name of revenge…

Knock Out digressed. He shook his head.

He found himself wishing that Breakdown could be on his side now and that he had made that decision to go with Autobots when he had felt more undecided than Knock Out could have imagined at the time.

After that moment of thought, which had passed quite quickly through his mind, he then said to Starscream simply, "Breakdown had been at odds with himself because after being deathly loyal to Megatron for over a thousand years, he had begun to doubt the Cause, Starscream. He waited and waited on Earth for Megatron to pick us up only to find a ship of fools and enemies that tried to save him, and he took too long to decide which side he wanted to be on until he drove himself nuts."

Starscream's face contorted. "See!?" he said, "You don't care! You're avoiding my actual statement. And many _Autobots_ have died too, you know. Look at the fate of Cliffjumper!"

Knock Out rolled his optics angrily and found himself wishing Breakdown was there to give him a good conk on the head. He was already facing a computer screen.

"I was wondering when you were going to bring that up," he muttered.

"I'm in the right! You were just too weak to kill me!" Starscream cracked. "It was right that I should live! Look at the fate of Optimus Prime! He died. He was in the wrong, and Megatron outlived him."

For the last time Knock Out turned to Starscream who was panting and trying to fight his illness with childish stubbornness, and Knock Out shook his head.

"Starscream, relax," Knock Out grumbled. "You're going to hurt yourself."

"Why do _you_ care!?" snarled Starscream with such dramatic flair one might have thought him stage-acting.

Knock Out shrugged carelessly. "I don't know, because Optimus' goody-two-shoes ways rubbed off on me?"

Starscream closed his optics too exhausted to think of a comeback. After a moment or so Knock Out too calmed down.

"Who knows," Knock Out teased. "Maybe if you lived with his team the way I have, Optimus' ways might rub off on—"

" _DON'T_!" snarled Starscream holding up a hand violently, and for some time he panted to try to cool himself down. "I'm relaxed now. You're still a maniac who tried to torture me just like you did to that disturbing human for weeks on end."

Knock Out shrugged. "Okay. Suit yourself. I _did_ apologize."

" _Hmph_!"

With a smile, Knock Out went back to the computers.

"I'll put you back into stasis soon so you can get your fuel system back in order. You'll feel in a better mood after that."

Now was probably not a good time to tell him that once he was feeling a little better Bumblebee was going to have a word with him about Megatron and the Decepticons. He thought about saying it just to spite him, but it was good for Starscream to be quiet for a while for both his own sake and Knock Out's.

 _Besides_ , Knock Out thought _, I already won. There's no need to spoil it._

All that drama and all he had to do to beat Starscream at his game was to gross him out with the thought of him becoming an Autobot. Unless he was at a sort of impasse of indecision himself.

Knock Out shrugged. Maybe, but he doubted it.


	26. Starscream Wants a Second Opinion

JMJ

TWENTY-SIX: STARSCREAM WANTS A SECOND OPINION AND OTHER NON-MEDICAL MATTERS

Bumblebee was not exactly looking forward to a chat with Starscream. The fact that Starscream was so injured did not help either. That would only make getting information out of him more difficult. He would try to hide behind his injuries. Bumblebee could already hear the groveling and whining and see the scene Starscream would make, but they did not have time to wait for Starscream to be fully functional. They had already waited two or three days for Starscream to be in better health. They needed information now.

Closing his optics briefly, he prepared himself for the fight. Then he opened the door to the medical center. Hopefully after their interrogation Starscream could be moved to the hospital and out of the hatchery's medical center.

Knock Out smiled as Bumblebee entered, for he was waiting for him outside of Starscream's walled off room.

"Ah, Mr. President!"

"Is he in a condition for talking?" asked Bumblebee doubtfully.

Knock Out shrugged. "Is he ever?"

He opened the wall enough to allow himself and Bumblebee inside, and then it was shut behind them.

Instantly Starscream's optics opened, and he leered at Bumblebee in surprise. He cringed uncomfortably.

"You have important company today, Starscream," Knock Out announced in a tone that might have been used for a child, save for the slight sarcastic tease about it.

"This doesn't have to take long," Bumblebee said to Starscream before he could speak in protest. "I'm sure you can guess why I'm here."

"Information," coughed Starscream trying to make himself look as pitiable as possible, so that it was a little difficult to tell how much of it was true injury and how much Starscream was playing up.

Bumblebee glanced at Knock Out.

"He's well enough for visitors," said Knock Out crossing his arms, and turning to Starscream, he added, "Just as long as he doesn't work himself into a fit again."

" _Nnghh,_ " growled Starscream and he grumbled weakly, "At least Bumblebee knows how to be civil."

Bumblebee then crossed his arms and glanced lightly from Starscream to Knock Out again. Then Knock Out, who seemed to see Bumblebee's thoughts on the matter, or else he thought of them himself, said, "Well! I have other things to attend to, so I'll let you have your chat in private."

And he promptly, if not somewhat pompously (though it was possible it was only because of Knock Out's own discomfort), left the room, and the wall was closed up behind him.

"You have no idea the torture I've been going through in here," said Starscream darkly as he stared up above him and leaned his head back onto the table.

"It looks like he's been taking good care of you to me," said Bumblebee with a shrug.

"He's the one who put me into this state and only decided not to rip open my skull for fear of losing his reputation as an Autobot," said Starscream.

"This isn't about Knock Out, you know."

"But it is!" snapped Starscream leering at Bumblebee again. "He turned into a mad scientist lunatic within a few seconds!" and here be began to whimper. "The only reason why he did not kill me right when he had me was because he wanted me to suffer! He's no more an Autobot than I am! You must see that! And it may not be my right to say how and where you keep him, but I refuse to be under his mocking care any longer!"

"You survived it when you were a Decepticon," said Bumblebee.

"That was before he had it in for me!" Starscream complained beginning to pant.

"Starscream!" Bumblebee urged. "Where's Megatron?"

"He's a monster ready to burst! You must see that!"

"Megatron?" demanded Bumblebee even though he guessed otherwise.

"Knock Out!"

Bumblebee sighed.

"Only if you take me away from the sight of him," said Starscream. "I'll never be able to heal with his sneering face hovering above me!"

"That's up to Ratchet," said Bumblebee. "He's the only other one who could take care of you."

"Then ask him, order him! You're in charge!" said Starscream and his voice had become rather strangled; he nearly lost it's capacitating in his panting. "This sort of thing wouldn't be allowed to happen if Optimus Prime was still around!"

"Calm down, and we'll see," said Bumblebee losing patience. "Now will you _cooperate_?"

Starscream closed his eyes and after a pause he said very weakly and self-pityingly, "I'll try to, but you're going to be disappointed. I don't know very much."

"Why are you here on Cybertron, Starscream?" said Bumblebee. "I know you had a mind control device and the phase shifter, and that you attacked Knock Out and that you had plans to possibly kidnap hatchlings. Somehow I doubt any of these things are really what Megatron is up to, at least in the way _you_ were going about them."

After another pause, longer than the first, Bumblebee tried again sharply, "Starscream."

Starscream sighed bitterly. "Yes. I'll admit it. Those were not Megatron's plans."

"Then what are his plans?" demanded Bumblebee. "I'm warning you, Starscream, you're only going to make this more difficult for yourself if you don't tell me now."

"Are you in for torture now, yourself?" hissed Starscream.

Bumblebee did not feel the need to answer a question like that, and he only raised a brow at him.

" _If_ he's still online, mind you," muttered Starscream, "his plans are the same as they always have been, to rule Cybertron because he believes it is his destiny and that now, with Optimus Prime's demise especially, he believes he is the only one _capable_ of ruling it."

"You know what I mean. What are his plans for Earth? Where is he now, and what do you mean by 'if' he's online?"

Starscream smiled, one of his sinister gruesome little sneers that leaked often behind a pitiful façade, and again Bumblebee could not help but roll his optics.

"Well?"

"He was betrayed," said Starscream.

"By you?"

Here Starscream snickered. "No. I've given up that kind of treachery. I would have been loyal to him until the end had he not been beyond the reach of sanity," he said. "I was only going to take matters into my own hands, I had no intention of killing a mental invalid."

"You've never had qualms about things like that before," Bumblebee could not help but remark.

"It wasn't me," said Starscream firmly. "I wouldn't be on Cybertron if it was."

"Then who?"

"Soundwave."

"That's hard to believe."

"Isn't it, though?" said Starscream innocently. "He was out to kill Megatron _and_ me _and_ perhaps Skywarp too. Skywarp made it back in through the portal before Soundwave shut it up. He meant for the Predaking to do his dirty work or perhaps he has devised that first the Predaking soften Megatron up for Soundwave to make certain he can be killed easily later. I escaped only because of my fortune in my happening to find the phase shifter on the ground on Earth after the demise of Lockdown. It must have blown pretty far during the explosion somehow, and it's fortunate that it did not get into the hands of someone worse than myself. But as for Lord Megatron, I do not know. The last I saw of him was his facing the Predaking. He would know more about it than me, and since I understand you have fairly decent relations with that barbarous monster like so many others of your monstrous pets like those Raptor-bots for instance and lest we forget Kno—"

Bumblebee held up his hands. "Yes, okay, I get that. Now. If this is true and Megatron was last seen fighting the Predaking, how long ago was this?"

"About two days before _this_ happened to me," said Starscream mournfully.

"And do you have any idea what Soundwave may be planning or why he decided to trick Megatron?" Bumblebee demanded.

"Soundwave's treachery was just as much a surprise to me as it was to anyone else," said Starscream. "He was acting a little suspicious, I suppose, but he always is sneaking about and spying on everyone. It's a disturbing thing living under such conditions in which every word, every movement, is under constant surveillance of those watchful optics behind that visor."

"A condition that you could have easily escaped, Starscream, many times," said Bumblebee. "It's difficult to feel sorry for you."

"That is hard, Mr. President, believe me," said Starscream. "After all, your old leader always took pity on my plight, trapped as I was with the Decepticons under Lord Megatron and Soundwave." He began to wring his hands and to choke miserably. "He knew it was no fault of mine that I was seduced into Megatron's service."

Bumblebee only frowned harder.

Starscream winced, but more from irritation and feeling sorry for himself than actual remorse.

"Is there anything else you wish to ask me?" he hissed.

Bumblebee shook his head. "If you're telling the truth then there's nothing else you _can_ know. But we will go find out if the Predaking attacked you and Megatron."

"Yes, yes," murmured Starscream. "But you have to keep your promise."

"I didn't promise you anything except that I would ask Ratchet."

Thus ended their conversation; though, Bumblebee had to admit that it might be a good thing to separate Knock Out from Starscream, more for Knock Out's sake than Starscream's.

But his thoughts were more on the Predaking than either of them. They would have to ask him in person whether or not Megatron was destroyed unless Megatron had destroyed him.

#

"Now remember," said Bumblebee in a low voice to Bulkhead and Arcee as they made their way cautiously to the Predaking's domain, "we gotta be prepared for anything."

The place did not look too much better than before. The Predaking had little interest in changing the burial grounds of his ancient kin; though they were no longer truly buried there. Bumblebee would have gone entirely alone had he thought it would have helped to appear more humble before the Predaking, but Bulkhead would not let him, and Arcee was soon to follow. The Predaking had given his word not to kill the followers of Optimus Prime, but his word was proven more honorable than that of Megatron. If Megatron been the victor of the fight, was what unnerved them more.

They did not go near the gravesite, but only close enough to know that the Predaking would see the flash of light they shot upward. It would mean dishonor to approach the gravesite. The Predaking had made that quite clear. Though no more dead Predacons lay there, it was his site and it was claimed to him to be untouchable by any but Predacon feet. Where the Predacons actually lived, the Autobots never actually knew, so they could not go to his front porch and knock, but Bumblebee knew he would see their flare.

After the light died down, they waited.

It did not take long to receive attention.

A swoop went over their heads suddenly. A second echoed it, and before them landed Skylynx and Darksteel in robot mode.

"How dare you trespass!" snarled Skylynx.

"We're going to rip you apart one piece at a time!" sneered Darksteel.

"We've violated nothing," Arcee said firmly.

"Yes," said Bumblebee. "The Predaking said only that no one was to step onto the memorial site."

"Then what are you doing here?" demanded Skylynx.

"We only wanted to know," said Bumblebee bravely and he lowered his head, "if it's true that Megatron has been seen by you."

Darksteel growled and Skylynx leered.

"Not one piece can be straightened to fix him!" said Skylynx.

"If you want to find him," added Darksteel, "he's right by your feet as much as he's halfway across our domain!"

Bumblebee was taken aback, and he noticed Arcee straighten in surprise herself. All three of them looking down noticed the severed pieces of metal innards at their feet, and they backed up a little.

"Megatron's destroyed!?" asked Bulkhead.

"Never putting _him_ back together," said Darksteel knowingly. "Even if that squealy one that mocked our king escaped no thanks to Skylynx."

Skylynx growled. "You lost the element of surprise!" he snapped as he shoved him aside. "And it's no fault of mine he went straight through a wall!"

"Ahem. What about your master the Predaking?" asked Bumblebee with care.

"Healing from his wounds," said Skylynx.

"Is he alright?" asked Bumblebee.

"He's healing!" snarled Darksteel. "And we don't need your help!"

Darksteel immediately leapt into the air transformed back into his dragon-like form, but Skylynx stayed a moment longer.

"The Predaking has taught us honor that we did not have before even if it takes longer for Darksteel to get anything!" sniffed Skylynx. "We'll let you live as followers of the Prime, but we had a really bad day and you're lucky for the Predaking's word."

Then Skylynx tore away then as well.

"Was that an apology?" asked Arcee wryly despite the situation once she was sure Skylynx and Darksteel were far enough away not to hear her.

Bumblebee shrugged. "Yeah, that's what I got out of it."

#

Skywarp rather sullenly hooked up the energon line to where it would pump into the creature they salvaged from Lockdown's ship.

 _It would be better_ , he thought, _to save this energon for ourselves. It's wasted on beasts._

For beasts are what Lockdown had, and although most were of the fleshy sort, some were of Cybertronian stock or of distant Cybertronian origin. This one in particular seemed to please Soundwave; though after speaking to Skywarp when he had managed to slip back through his portal, Soundwave had not said much either with his own voice capacitator or in the manner Skywarp and Shockwave were accustomed to him communicating.

Not that Skywarp had a problem with that, really. He did not speak much himself. In fact none of the three that remained were the talkative sort. The silence was welcoming more than not, but Skywarp did somehow get the sense that he was being shut out sometimes as the "Waves" did their thing. Skywarp could not help but notice that they were rather in tune with each other even if Shockwave did not seem overly pleased with the situation as a whole. But he did find the creatures interesting, and he had no qualms whatsoever in bringing them back to health or manipulating them to his own design.

 _Scientists…_ , Skywarp could not help but think with disdain and a slow roll of his optics.

Not that Skywarp cared about the creatures either way except for the wasted energon, but he really wanted to know what the plan was. The limbo of it all began to get to him.

With a pout almost worthy of Starscream, Skywarp watched the energon flow go in and on the creature. It was half awake rather than in stasis, groggy and unhealthy looking. It lolled its queer red optics up at Skywarp and Skywarp slowly made a face in between disgust and fear. Rather flexible metallic lips curled upward along the long snout of the beast, revealing razor teeth and a strong tongue as it made a drawn-out sleepy growl. Its ear-like stubs on top of its head flattened a little at the sight of Skywarp's frown.

Rising slowly to his full height, Skywarp looked down upon the beast. Bound as it was, he did not truly fear being attacked. Then he raised a lazy eye to Shockwave.

"You could've made it less ugly," he remarked idly.

Shockwave, whose attention was elsewhere as he had hooked up more energon to another gruesome beast, turned to Skywarp and said simply, "That one is one of the three in the set that is Soundwave's own. I do not interfere with his work. That one has been renamed Ravage. The two to your right near him" (Skywarp turned to the other two creatures—these resembled Laserbeak after a fashion, except that they were more advanced in design and had originally true sparks besides just being simply as gruesome as Ravage) "are to be called Ratbat and Buzzsaw. They will help us with our conquest, and it is illogical to be concerned with any of their appearances anyway. I hope you do not prove to be as illogical in your conduct as your fellow model Starscream."

Skywarp lowered his lids and raised his brows, and he lifted his head just enough to be considered proudly.

"What _is_ the plan?" asked Skywarp in a tone which meant that he did not believe Shockwave knew anymore than he did.

"Soundwave knows," said Shockwave returning to his work.

"Hmm," said Skywarp after a blinking pause.

"There is no reason to question Soundwave," returned Shockwave. "His motives are only for the Decepticon Cause. It is all any of us have left."

Skywarp shrugged minimally.

 _He's planning a new generation of his own_ , thought Skywarp with mild care. _One that will grow faster than the real one, but will it be enough to defeat the old generation_?

He had just been about to leave, but his idle presence seemed to already have agitated Shockwave, so he turned to Skywarp once more and said, "He has as a main event, a plan to recapture the Predaking under our control."

Skywarp almost smiled when he heard this and only very briefly. He knew enough from what Megatron had told him that Shockwave had been more than overseer of the Predacon project. It had been Shockwave's dream and hundreds of years had he spent on its success. He still did not know for certain whether Shockwave had known of Soundwave's betrayal against Megatron ahead of time, but it was obvious that the scientist was most loyal to his own projects above all. The most loyal one among the trio had been Soundwave, and he probably was at that moment broodingly torn about what he had done as he had felt it was the only thing to prevent Megatron's madness from destroying the Cause he and Megatron had created. But had Shockwave ever truly cared about the Cause?

 _Scientists…_ thought Skywarp.

#

"Oh, thank the Allspark you're here!" gasped Starscream, His optics would have been brimming with tears of joy and relief had he had tear ducts.

By the look on Ratchet's face, Knock Out easily surmised that the old medic wanted nothing better than to turn around right then and there and leave the room again. His brief look of surprise that should not have been surprise was replaced with a deep aggravated frown. But though he paused, Ratchet did not leave. He came further in with a prompt doctor's air.

Knock Out smiled with amusement.

"At last I won't have to be trapped with this _lunatic_!" Starscream went on. "I feel better already seeing the true medic of the Autobots! I have no idea why anyone would let this mad scientist run loose around Cybertron after his homicidal tendencies have been proven, especially with the delicate hatchlings!"

"If you care about the hatchlings so much," Ratchet remarked, "do them a favor and stop howling like a mental patient rather than a physical one."

"Of course, doctor, whatever you say," Starscream said.

Ratchet glanced at Knock Out and Knock Out only returned him with a nonchalant grin. Then he returned to Starscream.

"From what Knock Out told me there isn't much more to be done anyway," he added, "and now that I'm here I can see that you're well enough to make a scene without too much damage to yourself. You should be grateful for Knock Out's good work on you."

"Why thank you, Ratchet!" Knock Out beamed.

Ratchet flustered just a little from Knock Out's amused tone in an already irritating situation, but he did not get a chance speak.

"Now that you're here, can't he leave me in peace?" Starscream demanded.

Once more Ratchet looked at Knock Out and he nodded to Knock Out to leave.

"Of course," said Knock Out. "Starscream deserves to have his _favorite_ doctor."

#

This was the plan how Skywarp understood it.

Under the command of Soundwave, Ravage, Ratbat, Buzzsaw, and Laserbeak along with a few of the other salvaged creatures which Shockwave had been in more control of would begin destruction of the reconstruction area of the Autobots. They would be the diversion more than anything as an extra precaution. Shockwave still possessed the energy cloaking device and would use it for his own mission. This mission was to find the Predaking. Soundwave doubted he was dead. Truly he doubted Megatron was dead, but both would be too weak from their fight to resist.

As for the other two Predacons, in case neither of them were badly injured, a noise machine had been created that made a sound that could be picked up by the ancient Predacons, according to Shockwave, but not by normal Cybertronians without extra enhancement. This noise would be horrendous for the other two Predacons, but Skywarp and Shockwave would be unaffected so they would have time to locate the Predaking. Whether the Predaking would be able to fight the noise was debatable but he was injured. They would then use another device that would put the Predaking into a temporary stasis, which would allow Shockwave to work with a modified mind bending device created by Shockwave.

The mind control idea, Skywarp had no doubt, was interestingly enough taken from Starscream. Soundwave had taken it upon himself to inform his two lieutenants (as he called Skywarp and Shockwave) that he had been well aware that Starscream had gone to Earth to steal the device. Megatron, had he been in top form, would have also known this, but in his madness and delusions he had not thought of it. But this new device was far superior to anything humans could have created and would tame the Predaking to the will of the user as tested on some of the more savage of the salvaged creatures.

While Shockwave installed this taming device, Skywarp would remain with him on guard.

Soundwave would be aboard the _Black Hole_ with a newly re-mastered cloak using the advancements also found on Lockdown's ship from which he would oversee all and interfere if need be as a backup. Down in person, he promised. For one thing that he had always found fault with in Megatron was that he did not interfere in person enough when his plans were not going as planned.

Honestly, Skywarp did not see the reason to have the monsters attack civilization when they could do everything sneakily without anyone knowing. It seemed a waste if nothing else, but Skywarp did not question it. Things were weird enough without questioning it.

All three of them, including Soundwave had to feel how strange this all was without Megatron leading them. Even if they succeeded, would it be the same Cause without Megatron? He may have been recruited by Soundwave, but Skywarp had ever considered Megatron the true master of the Cause with his presence and passion. It may not have appeared so on the surface, but Skywarp had a deeply passionate side of him that few ever knew about, and that it had been in fact Megatron's zeal which had convinced him that society would be better under him, a zeal which promised Skywarp a respect he had never received before. Now Megatron was gone, and although it had been slow in coming, his absence was beginning to feel like a dull empty hole.

And besides that Soundwave had no Cybertronians left under them, only three and the rest were monsters; though Soundwave did promise that some of the New Generation would be theirs soon enough and convinced of their side.

Skywarp was not so sure when all they had to offer was monsters and darkness, and Cybertron was so full of life and vigor. He nearly thought of abandoning the Cause himself, but he could not bring himself to humble himself before the Autobots anymore than Shockwave or Soundwave could. So he had no choice but to continue as he was. It was just a simple matter of fact.

"What will be the protocol should Lord Megatron still be alive and well enough to contend with us?" asked Shockwave suddenly of Soundwave.

There was a pause

Skywarp turned to Soundwave expectantly.

Soundwave stood majestically and then said, "Unless he turned to join the Autobots, he won't be well enough to contend with us. He's mad. What I've done will have driven him madder."

"What about Starscream?" Skywarp decided to add as long as they were on the topic of surviving, and he gave a leisurely shrug. "He might've escaped. He wouldn't have fought. He may have helped Lord Megatron if he found him injured afterwards."

Soundwave did not answer which usually meant he wanted them to answer their own questions.

"It is logical to assume," said Shockwave after a moment, "that if they live they will not be near the Predacons' territory anyway. Even if neither of them is in a logical state of mind, if they did choose to remain they will have been killed by now and would have had no way of obtaining energon even if they did escape the wrath of the Predaking."

Again Skywarp shrugged but very minimally and said simply, "We're on edge."

Soundwave said no more at that time, but slowly and meticulously the plan was set up, and it was not until Starscream had been sent to prison that they finally set their plan into motion. But the plan did not go how Skywarp understood it even if it did go quite how Soundwave understood it.

Not long after Laserbeak led the charge on Cybertron and Skywarp left with Shockwave for the Predaking, Soundwave made a portal for himself and stepped out of the _Black Hole_ onto the floor of the corridor outside the hatchery.


	27. Arena

JMJ

TWENTY-SEVEN: ARENA

In the nursery there was a grand window overlooking the reconstruction of Cybertron. Since most of the Autobots' return from Earth, the window now often adorned the scene of Bulkhead working with Vehibots along with Wheeljack and sometimes Bumblebee and Smokescreen as they began making the capital region more and more homelike and less like a construction zone.

Often the hatchlings would look out this window longing for the day when they would join them.

Though the only one who had fully reached the two week mark by now was Flare Up who had been the only one hatched her day, and she was due for a scan for her own vehicle-mode now. Her excitement could not be contained. It was in fact a day in which she should be welcomed outside the nursery and out into the outside world of Cybertron as a full grown Cybertronian to live out the long centuries of her life on a peaceful world. But she knew that the world was not peaceful more than her brothers and sisters did, and there were also so few adults and so much going on that her day of coming of age had to wait until a few more could be shown their vehicle modes on the same day.

She could feel the limbo in her planet very well. A world between war and peace, between hope and despair, between happiness and sorrow, and that indecision—that volatility in which she began her life had made her accept it. At least she thought it did. She was not quite prepared for what was about to happen.

"Why are they stopping?" asked one very small hatchling sitting comfortably on the windowsill to another somewhat older one standing beside him.

This companion of his was too large to sit on the sill but could stand on it with hands on the pane as they looked intently into the world they were preparing for.

"Maybe they're on break," said the other.

"No, they don't look like that when they're on break," said a third who was older than them both and could see out the window without getting onto the sill.

"I think someone's called them," said a fourth about the same age as the second and sitting on the shoulders of another older one. "They looked startled."

"Hey look! They're going to Capital Hall," said the second.

Flare Up, who had just helped get a hatchling refueled who had forgotten to do so (they needed refueling constantly until their second week) came over curiously herself to see what was happening.

Smokescreen was out with the workers now, Knock Out was in the medical center with a hatchling, and Arcee should be bringing her or him back any moment, so for now Flare Up was by herself, and she felt it her duty to understand the situation aside from her own curiosity.

It did look like something was wrong. She opened her communications line to contact Arcee about it, but she stopped suddenly when the littlest one sitting on the sill bolted upright in alarm and thrust his little stubby finger against the window towards the sky.

"Look!" he cried in his tiny but strong voice capacitator. "What's that!?"

Everyone at the window looked including most of the other hatchlings who had been busily doing other things in the nursery (many of them liked to wrestle like little puppies). They all hurried to the window now and Flare Up followed the little hatchling's digit to a vicious four-legged creature, which although was not exceedingly large, looked quite capable and threatening. Perhaps the most gruesome thing Flare Up had ever seen as it lunged for the first person it laid eyes upon, which happened to be a Vehicon.

Flare Up gasped.

And that was not all that came out forward to fight, for just as the Autobots began to fire at the four-legged predator, two more creatures bolted out. These flew upward one way and another, and even through the pane the hatchlings could hear the horrible screeches they made as they fired back at the Autobots. Behind them came an assortment of other small but just as creepy little creatures from every direction.

No one in the nursery had ever seen a battle before, and they all began to shout in excitement, some out of fear and some out of thrill, but Flare Up for a few moments more could only watch as the older generation fought. It was not until the raptor-bots appeared that she snapped out of it, but it was because suddenly one of her brothers tugged at her and asked, "What should we do?"

Flare Up was taken aback, but she soon grew determined again, making a fist and punching the air as she shouted above the rest: " _Quiet_!"

Everyone stopped, or most did anyway. Some admittedly were still hanging on things they should not be to see over the heads of their siblings out the window and some were still whispering, but the shouting and near pandemonium had stopped.

"Alright now!" she said. "All of you behave yourselves! Acting like screws are loose isn't going to help anything! They're Autobots! They know how to handle themselves!"

That was when the door opened and Arcee entered the nursery with another sibling. She looked quite pleased and was just about to announce their new sister's name, when she noticed the hatchlings staring at her wide-eyed and the passion in Flare Up's face. Arcee froze.

"Look, Arcee!" cried the little hatchling who had pointed out Ravage first. "Outside!"

Instantly Arcee did, with the hatchling still in her arms. She turned to Flare Up, "How long has this been going on?' she demanded.

"Almost ten minutes, Arcee," said Flare Up coming close to her, for she suddenly felt quite small and immature now that Arcee was there, and she was smaller than Arcee even at full growth literally. But she tried to look brave and be prompt and adult about the situation.

Arcee gave a sharp nod and then she opened communications in her audio receptors.

"Knock Out," she called. "I think Soundwave's made his move."

" _Already_?" Knock Out asked lightly. " _He only has two allies now. Oh, if you don't count Laserbeak, of course._ "

"I think he's found new ones."

There was a short pause and then Knock Out remarked dryly, " _That was fast_."

"I'm going to call Ultra Magnus and see what he can tell us," said Arcee. She glanced out the window and noticed Bumblebee already separating himself out from the battle with the mini beasties and getting Bulkhead and Wheeljack to go with him somewhere else. "He's not outside in the fight yet. I think he's with Ratchet."

" _What? Is there a battle going on right outside the hatchery_?" Knock Out demanded.

Arcee could not help but smirk. "Actually, yes. I'll get back to you in a minute." Then she turned to Flare Up, and Flare Up straightened herself at attention.

"Flare Up," she said putting her hand gently on her shoulder; though her tone was very firm and her optics firmly set upon hers. "I want you to go help Knock Out. I'm going to stay here in the nursery for now and find out what's going on and see if I can't get some answers."

Flare Up nodded. "Yes, Arcee."

Arcee smiled, one of those sad smiles that Flare Up knew meant that she was most unhappy that such madness was happening at such a time that should be happy and peaceful, and Flare Up smiled bravely for her.

Determined to show that she could handle it, she said, "You can count on me."

"I know."

#

Their precautions seemed to have bore fruit. Skywarp was surprised to find that everything went as they planned at first. The sound machine stopped Skylynx and Darksteel before they could attack. The Predaking was located with the skill of Shockwave. He was still somewhat injured and the sound machine worked well enough on him to allow Shockwave to get close enough to use his other device to knock him unconscious. Now it was just a matter of getting the mind altering device into the Predaking's head. Shockwave prepared for the operation as Skywarp stood watch.

Yet Shockwave had little time to perform brain surgery, as to Skywarp's surprise he saw the first glimpse of an Autobot driving their way. It was an all-terrain vehicle, and he was not alone.

After a wide-blinking pause, Skywarp threw back his head and shouted "Shockwave!"

Shockwave started, for it was not every day that Skywarp's voice rose above a low speaking level, and it had been so sudden and he had been concentrating so hard that it broke his thoughts as coming suddenly through a barrier into another world. He turned sharply to Skywarp.

"They know we're here," Skywarp hissed.

"The Autobots? But that is not possible," said Shockwave coming to the opening of the cavern the Predaking had made his own. "We should be shielded from their sensors."

He looked outside behind Skywarp, and Skywarp made room for him. There was no mistaking it. There were Autobots coming.

"Soundwave," Skywarp called. "Send us a—"

"Wait," commanded Shockwave putting his hand onto his arm firmly to make Skywarp stop.

Skywarp leered.

"It will still be some minutes before they arrive," said Shockwave. "We will not get another chance to do this. You go out and distract them and I will finish what we came to do."

Skywarp stared at Shockwave in disbelief with mouth slightly ajar and did not move.

"There is no sign of Jetfire," Shockwave continued. "You will outrun them in flight-mode. Feign coming from another direction and lead them away from here." When Skywarp still did not respond, he added impatiently, "Unless you're going to prove to me that you are more of a coward than Starscream."

The leer on Skywarp's face returned, and it grew rather ugly in an unhurried conversion of his facial features. For a moment more it seemed that Skywarp meant not to budge, but just as Shockwave might have pressed Skywarp further, Skywarp leapt from the cavern and transformed into his new Earth jet low along the ground so that he would not be seen before he would appear as though from another location and lead the Autobots away.

He did not realize, however that the two or three Autobots coming their way were not the first, and he had not gone far flying low before someone leapt from one of the jutting ledges and landed on top of him.

" _Ack_!" cried Skywarp.

For a split second he thought it was one of the Predacons, but that assumption was put to rights directly afterward.

"Skywarp," said a careless, somewhat amused tone. "Long time no see!"

Despite being forced ground-wards pretty quickly from the weight Skywarp snorted almost as carelessly in return, "Wheeljack."

At least Sea Spray had not jumped on him, but either way he hated Wreckers.

Wheeljack pounded the jet engines in the back, and Skywarp transformed in an instant tumbling onto the ground. As Wheeljack leapt off of him he wasted no time beginning to fight Skywarp before he could fully recover. He had barely chance to look behind him at the sounds of blast fires where Shockwave was being attacked before he was forced to fight his own battle, and with a savage growl he fired his missiles back at Wheeljack before jumping back.

The missiles fired harmlessly against a jagged metallic cliff-face from the skilled movement of Wheeljack, and Wheeljack shoved Skywarp against another wall.

#

Flare Up hurried down the corridor, and paused at the hatchery door as she heard movement inside. She was sure she heard Knock Out's slow and light steady pace inside. She opened the door and opened her mouth to greet him, but no sound came out after a few steps past the first shelf, and her mouth stayed open.

It was not Knock Out she saw. What she saw was only for a few seconds, and those few seconds burned into her mind for some time afterwards, but as she stood in near mid step gaping she beheld a Cybertronian unlike anything she had seen before. Starscream had looked harried and grisly, yes, but he still otherwise had looked about as normal as the others aside from his red optics, but this…

This person, if it was indeed a person at all, did not appear to have a face. No optics, no mouth piece, and strange designs almost like tattoos all glowed eerily dark but intensely bluish all over his otherwise black and gray blade-sharp body. Snaking out from him were smooth graceful tentacles, one of which stretched out further than the other and was hooked into the scanning slot of one of the energon sacks and the pre-hatched Cybertronian inside. The whole scene did not seem real; though it suddenly occurred to her that the place of scanning was originally for inserting "Common Knowledge" into a growing Cybertronian brain.

She did not have long to think about it; though, for she knew that, although the monster did not have a face like normal people that she could see, he was looking suddenly straight at her.

The only reason she was able to bolt back for the door in time was how far away she had been from him, for he was on the other side of the aisle where the hatchlings were that would grow the largest. She leapt through the door and out into the corridor. With the image still burned over her optics, she ran quite literally right into Knock Out coming carelessly out of the medical center.

#

" _Ouff_!"

Knock Out's optics flew open from idle lids, and he looked down at Fare Up in surprise, for he had hardly stepped out into the corridor before the collision. It hardly made him much more than stagger, for she was so small, but as a full grown adult, she still had the strength to make him step back a pace or two after coming at him with full speed.

"Flare Up, where's the fire?" he demanded and through force of habit he had to glance down at his paint job.

Flare Up pulled away from his body, but she did not get out of his way as she cowered low before him and thrust a finger towards the hatchery.

"Someone's in there," she hissed barely above a whisper.

Satisfied that his paint was fine, Knock Out lifted his head and made a face as he registered her words and alarm. Although fear instantly stung his mind, he was not about to run from the hatchery. He could not have guessed that it was Soundwave that was in there. He thought it far more likely that one of those "recruits" Arcee had mentioned had found its way in there. He got out his electro staff.

Then he promptly but gently moved Flare Up aside and made his way to the hatchery door. He glanced back at her as he reached it only briefly enough to catch her cringe, but just as the door opened for him, he was faced suddenly with a strong force. Before he knew what hit him he was flung against the wall opposite the door. And it was quite a force enough to rattle his insides a bit.

He fell to the floor with a moan, and opened his optics on the door to see the tentacle retracting back to Soundwave, and his mouth dropped.

Soundwave stepped towards him, and Knock Out quickly scrambled to his feet, fear screaming at him to run or even play dead, for he stood no chance against Soundwave. Airachnid had not even been a match for him. Knock Out remembered how he had flung her into the floor with hardly any effort at all. Knock Out did not even have a gun. He remembered his electro staff and scrambled to retrieve it from in front of him, but close range fighting would only be surrendering to Soundwave.

At least Flare Up had made herself scarce.

Without thought of what he would do afterward, he hurried to his feet out into the entrance hall, where at least he would have more space to think even if he may not have time.

Flare Up was hidden in the medical center's corridor, and Knock Out with electro staff now at the ready spun around as he passed the circular crystal garden in the middle of the crossroads, and Soundwave was there, not in any big hurry coming from the hatchery entryway corridor. Here they stood as though in some sort of battle arena, and Knock Out knew that he would lose. He did not consider himself a pessimist normally, but he was also a realist, and he could not think of anyway unless someone came to his aide, that he could beat Soundwave.

The stillness and silence was unbearable as Soundwave stopped at the edge of the arena and leered at Knock Out—at least Knock Out assumed he was leering, but then again it was possible he was only smirking. He could feel him taunting him without having to say a word, but the sentiment was more than clear. Soundwave would make Knock Out sorry that he changed sides as every plate and bolt and every line and every hinge would be ripped from each other before his living spark went dead.

Knock Out winced and clutched his electro staff hard as he tried to calm himself enough to at least make the unavoidable effort.

If he tried to leap over the garden he would be struck down by a tentacle before he landed. If he tried to attack from either side of it, it would be just as devastating if less dramatic. He could not decide. And he did not have time to call for backup without Soundwave interfering. The seconds ticked by for eternity it seemed, and Soundwave remained staring at him as though his very gaze would in time defeat Knock Out. And maybe it was working, for the longer he stood there, the more anxious he felt, and the more his nerve faltered, until at last he could stand it no more, and moved forward.

Just as he thought, the tentacle made its move, but Knock Out did not even get a chance to leap as the tentacle itself crashed through the crystal shards shattering like crisp rainbow rain as they spattered about singing their piercing breakup song. Knock Out electrocuted the tentacle, but it still tripped Knock Out over onto his face again.

Soundwave was affected somewhat by the electrocution, and he visibly lurched, but he was hardly down as he moved another tentacle to shove Knock Out very hard into the floor just as he was trying to get up. Then it yanked him through the broken shards of crystal. A lightshow of color blazed before his optics in seconds before he was thrown again down at Soundwave's feet.

"Oh…" Knock Out groaned, and let out a strange squeak as the tentacle returned to grab his helm. It held his face into the floor.

 _I'm joining the winning team_ Knock Out's old voice suddenly echoed from Soundwave's recordings, and Knock Out would have rolled his optics at the pettiness of this had he been in a little better condition to do so.

"Oh, come on," Knock Out could not help but mutter despite himself into the floor. "That's the best you can do?"

The tentacle lifted his head suddenly and slammed it into the ground again. Then Soundwave flipped him over. To prove that there would be no more games and possibly no more torture either, he aimed his free tentacle at his chest, while the one on his head remained. His electro staff was lost in the ruins of the crystal garden, and he could feel Soundwave's gaze through his visor aim right for his spark.

Knock Out could feel his spark blazing inside him, and he knew it could at that very second blaze its last and that that intense heat could instantly turn cold. Never before had he felt so in tune with its subtle hum always inside him keeping him warm and alive as he stared in horror up at his own reflection off of Soundwave's visor. He could not withhold his useless panting now as he squeezed his optics shut.

" _No_!" shrieked a little voice.

Of course it was Flare Up and as she shrieked she fired, for apparently she was equipped with a laser gun that Knock Out never had been equipped with. It barely skimmed Soundwave along the side of his back, for it took some doing for a hatchling to hit a skilled warrior like Soundwave, but it did give Knock Out time to get his hands in gear as a buzz saw and a drill.

As Flare Up tried to keep firing at Soundwave, a tentacle lunged for her. Terror worse than the terror for himself struck Knock Out to the spark at that thought of Flare Up's death before his optics. He sliced faster than he thought possible right through that tentacle aiming for her before he or Soundwave or Flare Up knew it had happened.

Flare Up fell backwards for the most part unhurt; though she let out a cry, and Soundwave actually was staggered enough from the sudden pain and shock for Knock Out to escape his grasp, and this all happened quite fast as one fluid motion as some bizarre, human modern ballet. And it was not over yet. As Knock Out leapt to his feet and spun around he felt a sudden painful jolt on his chest as a tentacle yet again shoved him backward into the floor.

He slid until his back wheels bumped into the wall. He had to flatten their axels quickly or they would have been completely broken off. His thick back and collar plating did their job in protecting his already woozy head.

Soundwave was up to him now as he possessed only one fully functional tentacle. He put a foot just below Knock Out's chest; then before his optics Soundwave's clawed tentacle began to spin saw-like and dove into his chest like one of Jetfire's burrowing wyrms. It lasted mere seconds. Knock Out did try to fight back uselessly with his own saws but the other tentacle, broken as it was, still managed to get in his way from damaging the digging tentacle.

He could see even with optics wide open, his "life flashing before his eyes" as human's said.

It was a funny kind of life, Knock Out had to admit, but at least he ended it well in trying to protect Flare Up. He could almost see Optimus Prime giving him courage to face the seconds after when his destroyed spark would be in Soundwave's claws. Or maybe he was giving him courage to live…

Because instead of a buzzing blade going through his chest any further, Knock Out found himself instead pushed (or pulled) right through the wall and then into the floor!

He landed bodily and noisily, but he was not anymore hurt than when he first went through the wall.

Gasping and tensing and staring with optics wide, Knock Out sprawled on his back with his hands lifting himself up enough so that he was not actually lying on the floor. Even the pain in his chest was not enough to break him out of his utter shock and disbelief for a few seconds as he stared into the blackness of wires and pipes below the floor.

"Knock Out!" hissed Smokescreen.

His face was right in Knock Out's as he tried to get his attention and he shook his shoulders.

"Hey, Knock Out, you okay!?"

Smokescreen winced and cringed visibly at the hole in Knock Out's chest that only by a hair had not reached the actual spark chamber. The glow of his spark pierced out from it and shone against Smokescreen's wide optics.

At last Knock Out's optics rose to Smokescreen, after taking note in his phase shifter. "Cutting it close there, aren't you, Smokescreen?" he wheezed.


	28. Protecting the Nest

JMJ

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: PROTECTING THE NEST

"Can you get up?" asked Smokescreen doubtfully; though while he spoke he was already helping Knock Out to his feet.

"I'm up, aren't I?" Knock Out tried to tease, but he ended in coughing up paint dust from Soundwave's surgery anyway breaking any humor that may have resulted from it.

Smokescreen was not paying attention anyway.

"We gotta get out of here," he said. "It won't take Soundwave long to—"

"Wait," said Knock Out then stopping Smokescreen suddenly. "Where's Flare Up?"

"I'm right here," said Flare Up with a choke in her voice capacitator, and she grabbed Knock Out in a strange sort of hug on his side while trying not to touch the gaping hole in the chest.

Even still Knock Out winced, but it was not as painful as his body had anticipated. He looked down at Flare Up's tightly closed optics, and he sighed and he smiled. He had never thought about it before, but he realized at that point that although she was pretty much fully mature physically, he was certainly still a hatchling inside still.

 _Maybe that was one of the things wrong with our original society, after all,_ Knock Out could not help but think though lightly.

He shrugged.

That was neither here nor there at the moment.

He reached out a hand to hug Flare Up gently back.

"I called Smokescreen," said Flare Up, "before…" She lowered her head, "before I thought that you couldn't hold out anymore…"

"I took her through the wall first," said Smokescreen, "while Soundwave was busy with you."

"So who's fighting the beasties?" asked Knock Out almost to his normal tone of voice even if a tad strained.

"Ultra Magnus with Jetfire and Quickshift _and_ the raptorbots," said Smokescreen quickly as he began helping Knock Out forward; Flare Up helped to move him further. "And the Vehicons—uh, sorta."

"What are we going to do?" Flare Up asked. "I saw him. In the hatchery. He was going to do something to them. He—"

Smokescreen paused, made up his mind about something, and then said, "I'll go back out. You stay with Knock Out."

"Believe it or not, Smokescreen," said Knock Out looking down at the ugly hole in his chest and touching it with delicate care. Even the energon flowage was not as bad as it could be as a main line had not been struck. "It's not quite as bad as it looks."

Smokescreen smiled wryly. "That's not what Ratchet would say, and it's weird enough coming from you."

Knock Out could not help but smile back, but it was short lived, for suddenly there came the sound of firing from above.

Flare Up gasped.

"Arcee," said Smokescreen, and he turned to Flare Up. "Flare Up, take Knock Out out of here."

Flare Up nodded. "I'll take care of him."

"Oh, will you?" said Knock Out.

"Come on, hurry," said Flare Up pulling Knock Out along underneath the floor. There would be a panel that could be used as a door when they went far enough.

"Help Arcee, Smokescreen," begged Flare Up. "I wish I could help too!"

Smokescreen smiled once more. "I got the phase shifter."

"Just don't get cocky," grinned Knock Out, but Smokescreen was already gone.

#

Skywarp had managed flight-mode again to escape Wheeljack. Skywarp did not fear fighting when necessary, but he found little pleasure in duels of endurance to the death, especially against a Wrecker, and especially also since their mission had failed.

"Soundwave," said Skywarp into his communicator. "We need the bridge."

No answer.

Wheeljack fired at him, and Skywarp continued to fly in the direction of the cave where Shockwave was trying to contend with Bumblebee and Bulkhead.

"I repeat, Soundwave, we need a bridge!" Skywarp hissed. "The mission's failed!"

Still no answer, and worse there was no bridge. The worst yet was when Shockwave called Skywarp in a tone that sounded as though he had gone to great lengths and pain to get to a place where he could speak without too much fear of being shot at for a few seconds, "Skywarp, you must try to contact Soundwave. I cannot."

"No kidding," grumbled Skywarp.

Shockwave evidently understood Skywarp's tone. "We must leave immediately," said Shockwave. "The sound-maker has been destroyed. We—"

Fear tingled inside Skywarp as Shockwave was unable to finish his sentence. He hovered a moment and waited, and then he heard the snarls of the smaller Predacons beneath him. He began flying higher still, but he noticed that they did not seem to see him.

Shockwave emerged from the cave followed by the firing of Bumblebee and Bulkhead, but soon their firing stopped as well as they leapt out of the cave. The sound of rumbling and growling followed them, and Skywarp knew it could only be the Predaking rousing from temporary stasis and without the noise machine to keep him occupied.

The Predacons blew their fire down upon the trio of Cybertronians leaving their king's cave.

Then a furious voice from inside bellowed, "Do not harm them!"

The Predacons immediately obeyed; though they growled angrily.

"I will destroy the perpetrators myself!" So commanded the Predaking.

His two subjects growled in agreement.

Then the Predaking emerged from the cave in robot mode, and Shockwave was in the midst of his doorstep. He had no way to fight back, already damaged as he was, and although Bumblebee and Bulkhead were also injured, they were not in the line of vision of the terrible predator. Only Shockwave was, and neither Bumblebee nor Bulkhead could have assisted him if they had wanted to.

"I would have preferred more than not," said the Predaking in his theatrical boom, "to allow the one who brought us back out of extinction to live, but his treachery under the insignia of death under Megatron has led him too far even when his lord is destroyed."

What happened then was too fast for Skywarp to comprehend at first. One second Shockwave stood motionless before the Predaking. Then next moment fire and teeth devoured him, and Shockwave was no more.

Skywarp remained hovering motionless, unable to think and unable to move. Not even emotion could be felt as he stared in his disbelief. He might have remained there hovering and staring in his jet-mode until the Predaking noticed him and he would have remained in a state of shock right up until the Predaking flew up at him and destroyed him as he had Shockwave, but that was not to be.

Behind him on the ground, Wheeljack fired at him then in just the right spot on his wing so that Skywarp could no longer fly.

With a jagged cry, Skywarp fell downwards. Only experience saved him to cause him to instinctively level himself enough at just the right moment to transform and tumbled into the ground without too much further damage. But he had no chance to recover from anything as Wheeljack suddenly stood above him, holding his laser hand at the ready directly between his optics.

Skywarp lowered and stared stupidly for a second or two, but with as much dignity as he could muster to keep him separate from his fellow model Starscream he murmured, "I surrender."

" _Hmph_ , good choice," Wheeljack remarked.

Skywarp snorted and helped himself to his feet to be led away with a proudly held head.

#

Arcee tried to make the hatchlings stay, but there were two or three that decided to follow—older ones with weapons developed. They would not stand a chance. She had no chance to get angry with them as she was flung so hard against the wall that it tore through it into the medical center. The young ones began to fire. She could hear them, and she heard one of them cry out from electrocution from Knock Out's stolen electro staff.

"No!" she cracked, but she was yanked out of the medical center and thrown again onto the ground.

To her surprise however, it was not Soundwave who had the electro staff. As she was released from the tentacle's hold, she lifted her eyes to see that Smokescreen was the one who had it now, and with the use of the phase shifter to avoid the oncoming tentacle and laser fire, he electrocuted Soundwave right in the visor.

 _Crack_ , it went. A veritable hole was visible of the right side of Soundwave's narrow chin.

One of the uninjured hatchlings gasped to see such a normal looking chin beneath that visor, and even the injured one had to open his optics in amazement.

Although he spoke not a word, as he shook from the shock, Soundwave's anger was more than evident, but his pain was also. All attention now was on Smokescreen, and Soundwave forgot all the others. Besides, the other nearly grown hatchlings were surrounding their fallen comrade now and trying to pull him away from the fight.

Pulling herself upward, Arcee scrambled to her feet, but had not gone a few steps before the ceiling broke open.

Laserbeak fired at her.

Soundwave broke the ceiling further, and he leapt from his mostly defensive fight with the phase shifter. She fired at Laserbeak, but Laserbeak quickly withdrew from sight outside.

It was only an escape. Soundwave transformed and bolted skyward.

Again she fired at him. Smokescreen joined in, but Soundwave remained as slippery as ever and escaped being hit again.

As soon as Soundwave disappeared, Arcee turned around, and made for the damaged hatchling gasping for cool air from the overloading heat he had never experienced before.

"Wheelie!" she gasped, helping him to at least a seated position. "Are you alright?"

Wheelie nodded. "I'm okay, I'm okay…"

Arcee sighed with relief, but she did not ease in any other fashion.

 _It wasn't supposed to be this way_ , she thought angrily. _We weren't supposed to raise just another line of soldiers!_

#

Outside the others saw Soundwave break out of the roof of the hatchery. Most of the beasties were destroyed. The only major one left since Laserbeak disappeared was Ravage and he was enough to contend with.

Ultra Magnus turned to Jetfire.

"Go after him!" he ordered.

Jetfire did not even turn but gave a quick nod before transforming and bolting after Soundwave. Laserbeak was first to try to deter Jetfire with its small but powerful lasers. Jetfire swerved as best as he could, but his speed was not what it once was. He was not sure he could catch up with Soundwave; though he fired his missiles at him through the rain of Laserbeak's laser fire until at last Ultra Magnus was the one who fired and hit Laserbeak, allowing Jetfire to focus only on Soundwave.

Soundwave avoided the missiles well at first, but now that Laserbeak was down, he allowed only a second of annoyance. In such battles every second counted, and without a distraction, Jetfire's aim had lost no precision. As he fired this time it struck just between the wing and the body of Soundwave's flight-mode.

Down he fell, but not without firing back, and he hit Jetfire enough to make him fall as well; though even as both Cybertronians fell it seemed evident enough that Soundwave was the more injured of the two.

Ravage was determined to change that as just as Jetfire became low enough, he leapt from a ledge with a snarl aiming for Jetfire's engines.


	29. Last Gasp

JMJ

TWENTY-NINE: LAST GASP

A long tail swished. The gleam of Ravage's colorless metallic hide shimmered as he leapt from the shadows into the light of the sun. He landed on Jetfire with teeth savagely tearing, but just as he dug his teeth into Jetfire's own metal hide, a strike of laser whizzed past and struck Ravage. He tumbled from Jetfire's back as Jetfire transformed and landed purposely on top of Ravage as hard as he could. Then he blasted his head.

In the smoke rising from Ravage's dead carcass, Jetfire wiped energon leaking from his mouth. Panting and weary he saw that it had been Bumblebee who had fired and had saved him from Ravage.

Suddenly Jetfire grinned, a very toothy grin and then gave a pleasant nod.

"Mr. President!" he laughed heartily, and cricking his rather stiff spine he banged his staff against the ground.

He did not wait for Bumblebee's response as he threw his head over to Ultra Magnus and rasped, "What happened to Soundwave?"

"He got that way!" cried a Raptor-bot thrusting out an injured claw in the direction Soundwave had fallen.

"You okay?" asked Quickshift.

"My flight capabilities have been damaged, but I'm otherwise intact!" Jetfire assured him.

"Then let's go find Soundwave," said Bulkhead.

"I'll catch up," said Wheeljack. "I gotta get rid of this first."

Skywarp snorted, but he was under Wheeljack's careful and forceful surveillance and had no time to stand around as he was marched for the prison.

"Alright," said Bumblebee with a nod, and to everyone else he said, "let's roll out!"

He transformed and drove forward. The others followed him. The raptor-bots, in fact, had already run off as soon as their leader had pointed out where Soundwave had gone, so that Bumblebee was following them more or less. While driving he called to Arcee.

"We're headed out. Soundwave's down, but he still might escape," said Bumblebee. "Are things well with you? I saw he came out of the hatchery."

" _We're alright for the most part_ ," Arcee admitted. She sounded as though there had been quite a struggle. " _Knock Out's on his way to Ratchet with Flare Up, and Wheelie's been hurt a little too, but we can help him here in the hatchery still; though part of the medical center is severely damaged_."

"Alright," said Bumblebee solemnly.

" _What happened at the Predaking's domain_?"

"Shockwave's killed and Skywarp's captured. Only Soundwave is left. I'll get back to you soon."

" _Be careful_ ," said Arcee. " _He won't go down easy_."

"I know. I'll call you back as soon as I can."

" _Should I come_?" suddenly asked Smokescreen once Arcee was off communications.

"How's Arcee?"

There was a pause and then a sigh. " _More hurt than she'll admit_ ," he said quietly as though not to allow her to overhear. Before Bumblebee could say anything Smokescreen said himself, " _Okay, I understand. We hope everything goes well_."

Smokescreen went out. Then Bumblebee slowed just a little and asked of Ultra Magnus, "Did you contact Ratchet?"

"Yes," said Ultra Magnus. "Ratchet says that since Soundwave's damaged he's easier to pinpoint." He paused and stopped.

They were close now. They did not need Ratchet to tell them that. They had seen where Soundwave had fallen, and the raptor-bots were in hunting mode. Everyone else went silent and was transformed back into robot mode, except for Jetfire who had not used his now rather useless jet-mode. Their optics were peeled for any sign of movement that was not their own in this barren site where debris still lay in some spots.

There was no way all alone that Soundwave could win this fight, but Bumblebee knew that Soundwave would still have the capability of bringing someone with him. So far they had lost two Vehibots in the fight with Ravage, and even that Bumblebee felt was too many deaths on this rejuvenated Cybertron. Ravage and Shockwave truly were too many. Even Megatron himself was one death too many.

But such thoughts passed quickly. He was at present honed into his best scouting skills. He knew Soundwave had to be very near.

Suddenly Ratchet sounded in his audio receptors, " _Bumblebee, his signal is behind_ —"

Bumblebee spun around just in time to see a clawed tentacle aiming for his head. He ducked and fired. Soundwave dodged it just barely, but the Raptor-bots were on him. They savagely leapt over him from either side of him and tried to rip him apart, but Soundwave smacked one and kicked another and fired at another. The last he tried to knock away too. He was somewhat successful, but Bumblebee interfered firing at him too, and the last Raptor-bot Bravetalon (now quite well and in top form) kicked him down in between Bumblebee's lasers. Soundwave was already hurt as it was. Down Soundwave fell, and Bravetalon bit, but Soundwave ripped him off.

This was when Soundwave used his tentacle to pull himself away from the raptor-bots and Bumblebee. Bumblebee tried to grab him, but Soundwave slipped just barely from his grasp with a shriek of metal scraping metal. He was on an old beam then, and even before he situated himself up there he proceeded to create one of his portals.

"Stop him!" shouted Ultra Magnus. "He'll escape to the _Black Hole_."

Everyone fired, and Soundwave found that he could not stabilize his portal. It never grew to its full height or full strength, and he could not dodge everyone. He fell to the ground in a smoking heap.

There was then a long silence.

Quickshift was the first to get restless, shifting his weight from left to right, and then he looked up at the others after the Raptor-bots began to sniff the motionless body.

"Is he dead?" he asked. He turned back to Soundwave and took a step or two towards him.

Bulkhead squinted suspiciously. " _Hmm_ …"

"Quickshift," said Bumblebee suddenly.

Bulkhead was about to yank Quickshift back, but just as he was about to something blinked on Soundwave's visor screen.

Quickshift leapt back himself.

There was a beeping sound almost like that of a pulse monitor, and on the screen a timer was going off from a minute downwards.

"Oh," groaned Bulkhead. "You're gotta be kidding me."

"No, this is just the sort of thing Soundwave would concoct!" snapped Jetfire pounding the ground with his staff.

"Quick!" shouted Quickshift lifting his lasers. "We gotta destroy him!"

The raptor-bots quickly agreed.

"No!" said Ultra Magnus. "That would make him go off!"

"We gotta get rid of him or get out of here!" said Bulkhead.

"Ratchet!" called Bumblebee. "We need a bridge! _Now_!"

" _I'm on it_!" said Ratchet.

"Jackie!" called Bulkhead to Wheeljack. "Don't come this way. We're clearing out. Soundwave's exploding!"

The bridge appeared. Everyone climbed in as fast as they could, and naturally, it was the nick of time. Even as the bridge closed behind them there sounded an explosion, and it was a larger explosion than anyone would have guessed. Whether dead or somehow escaped through his portal just seconds before, the explosion was left behind, and the reverberations went through the ground and shook the whole building the Autobots were standing in. Dust and a little debris fell from the ceiling, and instinctively everyone ducked.

Then all was silent once more.

#

Wheeljack was the only one outside when the explosion went off, and he ducked down low as it passed over. Quickly he shot upright again even before the rumbles had ended when he heard the crack back at the prison.

He spun around.

Neither prisoner could make their weapons reusable within the confines of the prison walls, but that did not mean that they would not try something. After all, the prison was not exactly as secure as it should be as the Autobots had been using the _Nemesis'_ brig for prisoners until so very recently. It was not nearly as secure, and that explosion might be all the prisoners needed.

He rolled his optics.

"Yep," he grumbled as he heard the shoving of rubble, and a jet engine start up.

He had been expecting Starscream but was surprised that the jet flashed purple as it sailed upward. Skywarp was supposed to have been too damaged for flight, but apparently he could give it one last go even if not far. All he had to do was make it to his ship. He was too far away to shoot at already, but Wheeljack could go back and make sure Starscream was still secure as he contacted the others.

"Bad news, Mr. President," he called as he ran back prison-ward. "Soundwave's explosion damaged the prison. Skywarp's bolted. I'm taking care of Starscream."

#

"Guess, there's no time for a breather yet," muttered Knock Out with some sarcasm in his slow tone but he did add a most candid shrug.

Slowly most everyone looked at him, and many opened their optics wide to see the hole in Knock Out's chest.

As flustered as an old pheasant, Ratchet spun around last.

" _Knock Out_!" he snapped. "Why aren't you in the hospital yet?"

"I was just taking him there," Flare Up insisted.

"You go with him, Ratchet," said Bumblebee smiling in spite of himself. "We'll take over here."

Ratchet agreed though still flustering as he went. He did in fact take over from Flare Up; he had Knock Out moving forward a little roughly; though Knock Out took no offense. Flare Up hurried after them.

#

When Wheeljack reached the prison cells, he saw that Starscream's cell had not been damaged and that Starscream himself was looking utterly lost and dejected up at the ceiling where he had heard the jet engines of Skywarp fade out into space. Then he turned his head sharply to look angrily at Wheeljack.

"Abandoned, Starscream?" Wheeljack could not help but ask dryly.

Starscream growled. "That's the second time he's abandoned me!" he hissed.

"Well," said Wheeljack checking over the gages in front of the cell door. The energy field around it seemed quite intact, and it had suffered no breaks or cracks in its system. "The war's finally over Starscream. Whether Skywarp escapes or we catch up with him and stop him or even if Soundwave escaped, you're the last Decepticon on Cybertron, and it's probably going to stay that way."

#

Having landed safely aboard the _Black Hole_ and hurried to the bridge, Skywarp paused and panted a little as he looked up screens and fiddled with the controls. It did not appear that anyone was following. A laugh escaped him, but he did not allow it long. Quickly he set a course for somewhere—anywhere! Just away from Cybertron long enough for him to think and recuperate. Perhaps he would simply never return to Cybertron.

With the help of the information from aboard the _Knight_ , they had discovered secret stashes of energon scattered throughout space. He would be alright for some time. He tried to contact Soundwave, but there was no answer. As for Starscream, if Skywarp could think of something, someday he might rescue him, but for now it would just be him and the _Black Hole_ , and honestly, he was just fine with that.

He smiled with satisfaction as he watched the planet disappear and still nothing attempted to stop him.

Except that he was not quite alone.

He heard a few nasty little growls suddenly behind him once Cybertron was no more than a spec in space. Spinning around he held his laser at the ready. He was not in top form to say the least, and he was not sure he could put up another fight if it was an ugly one. The little growls had to come from one or more of the little beasties that had not gone to Cybertron, but he could not see them.

He spun around again, looking cautiously about, and then suddenly one jumped right on his face.

"What happened to Master Soundwave!?" it snarled.

With a strangled shout Skywarp fell backwards onto the floor and ripped it off of his face. And it took a moment or two of recuperation and watching the ugly little creature scurrying about on the floor, before Skywarp stood upright himself.

So he would have to do some exterminating to do too.

He snorted and fired just when it moved to a spot that was not too near anything vital to the ship.


	30. Optimus' Family

JMJ

CHAPTER THIRTY: OPTIMUS' FAMILY

"This was the one," said Flare Up.

She pointed out the hatchling that Soundwave may or may not have tampered with.

They were in the furthest back from the door, and the only line of hatchlings facing the opposite way towards the door on the actual wall of the domed chamber, off to one side. These would be the biggest of the new generation and would take the longest to be ready to hatch. The eldest and smallest of the generation, Flare Up looked behind her up at Arcee and Ratchet.

"Did he tamper with any others?" asked Arcee.

"Depending on how long he was here, he might have tampered with the common knowledge of every one of them," said Ratchet uneasily. He had two distractions, after all. The fight in front of the hatchery and Shockwave and Skywarp in the Predaking's domain."

"He could not have been there long," said Arcee. "I'd just come only a few minutes before."

"But even still they all should be checked," said Ratchet, "starting with the few hatchlings that have just hatched today. It might be something that will remain dormant for a time."

"But if Soundwave's dead, wouldn't that mean that it wouldn't have the same effect?"

Ratchet raised a brow. "Are you willing to take that risk, Arcee?"

Arcee made a face.

And so thus it was that the most of the rest of that day was spent checking the hatchlings. Flare Up assisted them wherever she could, mostly in helping the newly hatched with Smokescreen while Ratchet and Arcee did their work (Knock Out was in the hospital and Ratchet still had to check up on him occasionally too), but as they came again to her brother that she saw being attacked by Soundwave, Flare Up said, "So Vasteffect is okay?"

Arcee smiled strangely and Ratchet looked somewhat confused.

"What?" Arcee asked.

"That's his name," said Flare Up. "That's what Knock Out called him."

Ratchet and Arcee looked at each other and Arcee's smile grew. It still was playfully wry as she returned to Flare Up.

Flare Up made a face. "Is Vasteffect going to be raised by Knock Out?"

"Well, Knock Out wasn't…" Ratchet started to say.

Knock Out had not been completely officially approved for raising hatchlings.

"Of course he will," said Arcee. "Though most of his hatchlings are the next group coming since they'd be more or less the right size for him, I'd think, right Ratchet?"

Ratchet eyed Arcee strangely a moment and then nodded and smiled kindly at Flare Up.

"Yes," said Ratchet, "we're all family, and everyone will be someone to look up to and will have someone _to_ look up to. Optimus Prime would be pleased to see his family now." He paused for a few seconds and then said lifting a finger for emphasis, "Oh, yes! And Vasteffect is just fine. We corrected the damage, and he was the only one. Soundwave never got a chance to do what he had set out to do here."

"Oh, good!" said Flare Up.

#

"Bulkhead!" cried Miko instantly running towards him as he appeared behind Ratchet through the bridge.

The others stood for a few seconds longer: Raf, Jack, Mrs. Darby, Agent Fowler, and even Mr. Esquivel, (because after the events of what had happened someone of the Esquivel couple needed to be there with Raf, and Raf did not mind). It did not take long however for Jack and Raf to hurry to their once-guardians after Miko. There was so much everyone wanted to say and ask, but before anyone could say anything two more Cybertronians came behind Bumblebee and Arcee.

"Flare Up?" asked Miko suddenly.

From where she was seated on Bulkhead's shoulder, she turned to Arcee.

Arcee smiled and nodded, but she allowed Flare Up to introduce herself.

The first thing both she and Wheelie (the other newcomer) did as they stepped through the portal was to look around quite in childlike awe at the base, and before Flare Up noticed the humans Wheelie was already looking curiously at the older ones on the balcony.

When Flare Up heard her name, she looked up at Bulkhead's shoulder and started.

"I didn't know they were so small!" she gasped.

"Hey, be polite!" Wheelie teased.

Flare Up made a face, but it quickly turned into a smile again, "Yes, my name is Flare Up."

"And I'm Wheelie!"

"Miko!" said Miko.

After introductions however, it was business pretty quickly; though Miko was especially eager to show Flare Up and Wheelie around and tell them about all the amazing things she and Bulkhead used to do.

"Fowler," said Bumblebee meanwhile. " _Is_ everything cleared up now with your government?"

"Not quite," Fowler admitted. "Megatron and Lockdown screwed things up good, but Jack, Raf, and Miko have cleared names now with the help Unit E. Still a lot of the rest of the mess to clean up, though."

Bumblebee nodded. "Well, I think it's safe to say that finally Earth and Cybertron won't be bothered by Decepticon interference."

"Ratchet informed me that Shockwave and possibly Soundwave are dead and Starscream's captured," said Fowler.

"And Megatron is dead," added Mrs. Darby.

"I was getting to that," said Fowler. "Even though, we have thought he was dead before."

"He's in a million pieces," said Bulkhead. "I don't think he's coming back this time."

"Soundwave's can't be proven though," said Fowler. "What about him?"

"We found his remains in the crater made by his explosion," Bumblebee admitted. "They were examined thoroughly and our science department is pretty sure they're Cybertronian remains and there was no one else there they could belong too."

"And what about Skywarp?" Fowler demanded. "I don't know much about him. Will he be any kind of threat?"

"Not by himself," said Ratchet. "He does have the _Black Hole_ , but we'll be keeping surveillance. We aren't letting are guard down."

"And neither will we," Fowler assured him.

Once that was settled, Raf brought his dad down to meet Bumblebee. It felt awkward to just leave him standing there. Mr. Esquivel still felt somewhat awkward anyway, but he did say hello, and it was hard not to like Bumblebee.

After a little more catching up and the humans and Wheelie and Flare Up got to know each other a bit more, Raf suddenly asked Bumblebee, "So you really are going to make Cybertron family based?"

"Mmph, 'based'," Bee admitted lightly. "We may be the same in many ways, but we can't have a family set up how humans do with biologically created group of children, so the relationships will never be quite like that and they don't need to be. Ratchet would be able to explain the subtleties about it better than me."

"No, it's alright, I get it," said Raf. "I was kind of wondering how that was gunna work anyway. I didn't think Optimus meant the family thing to be that literal."

"Probably not."

"I don't know why," Raf went on, "but somehow you guys getting ideas from us, makes me appreciate it more, though. I mean, I know sometimes I take my family for granted and I shouldn't."

Bee looked at him with sympathy, but did not know quite what to say. It seemed that sometime it was difficult to find actual words to say to Raf. He guessed it was because he had been first introduced to Raf unable to communicate with him, and even when he could it was different from now with his voice capacitator restored. But he knew Raf did not mind.

"Well, I know one thing," said Raf after brief pause.

"What's that?"

"Optimus would be proud of you, Bee, as leader I mean," said Raf. "And I don't just mean the way you're setting up Cybertron. You really do have the touch for being the leader, and you led everyone so well and got everyone organized and kept your head through all that's happened."

Bumblebee paused, thinking back about it for a moment or two. He smiled wryly as though he was about to argue with him, but he closed his optics then and shook his head.

"Thanks, Raf," he said.

"Hey!" said Miko then quite loudly. "Are we gunna be able to show Flare Up and Wheelie more than the base? Come on, we gotta get 'em some vehicle modes!"

"Well…" said Arcee glancing with amusement at Bumblebee and then Fowler.

"Can't we!?" cried Wheelie.

"I thought that was why they came along," said Bulkhead.

"It's alright with me as long as you keep an eye on them," said Fowler.

"Especially Wheelie," Ratchet warned.

"Aww, c'mon, Ratchet, I'll be good!" said Wheelie.

"Oh, it'll be fine," laughed Arcee. "Come on, Ratchet. You come too."

#

While discussions remained about whether or not they should hunt down Skywarp and the _Black Hole_ or when they should begin to hunt for the Raptor-bots home, Knock Out found himself greeting his first charge as he hatched from his energon sack.

Opening his little round optics quite energon blue and blinking up at Knock Out from where he sat on the floor with hands between his legs, he said with amazement, "You're so bright!"

Knock Out smiled. "Well," he remarked in spite of himself, "I'm sure I look much more brilliant without a veil of energon."

The little one nodded.

"Can you stand up?" asked Knock Out.

Again the little one nodded and eagerly climbed up onto his feet. His legs were only shaky for half a minute before he got them under control. He grinned up at Knock Out proudly.

"How is 'Silverstreak' to your liking for a name?" Knock Out asked then.

" _My_ name?" gasped the little one. "Oh, yes! Silverstreak! Yes, I like it very much! _Silverstreak_!" he said the name as dramatically as he could with his little voice. Then he looked again at Knock Out, "And I know _your_ name. You're Knock Out!"

"Yes, that's me, alright," said Knock Out in his usual careless manner and made to pick Silverstreak up off the ground. "You were a perceptive little one inside your energon sack, weren't you?"

"It's okay!" Silverstreak insisted still grinning. "I can walk on my own."

"Are you sure?" teased Knock Out.

"Uh, huh," said Silverstreak.

"Alright, but it _is_ a long way from here to the medical center for _your_ tiny legs," said Knock Out standing upright now.

"Why are we going to the medical center?" said Silverstreak as Knock Out began to slowly walk forward.

Silverstreak kept closer beside Knock Out's feet than would have made some Cybertronians comfortable, but Knock Out was not in the least concerned (for good or bad). He merely kept a close eye on him as he took each careful step and made for the door. And he smiled to himself as he watched the little head of Silverstreak turn about in awe at the grand hatchery, at the warm glow, the reflection of energon sacks, and he looked back more than once at the rows of his siblings that were not yet hatched with great interest.

When they left the hatchery, even the automatic doors impressed him. As he stepped out into the hall Silverstreak let out a gasp that proved a surprise more sudden than the other fresh hatchlings that were merely carried to the medical center.

Knock Out thought that if he had time, he would allow every hatchling to bumble about in this way to have their checkups. Silverstreak seemed quite healthy enough almost not to need one, but the procedure would still have to be done just in case.

Silverstreak was so awed by his surroundings that he nearly forgot about Knock Out temporarily as he began to walk towards the front exit of the complex, but Knock Out gently blocked his way, and led him the rest of the way to the medical center.

The crystal garden in the middle of hall was still not rejuvenated even if most of the shards had been cleared away, and Silverstreak looked at this empty circle in the hall with its few scraps of remaining color and looked up at Knock Out curiously.

"What's that?" he asked.

"It _was_ a crystal garden," said Knock Out with a careless shrug. "There was some security trouble that you don't need to worry yourself about now. It'll be fixed soon enough."

"Oh."

"We've been too busy fixing the medical center," added Knock Out with a grin.

* * *

 _NOTE: This is technically the end of the story but there's a little bit of after-story after this._


	31. After Story 1: Generations

JMJ

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: GENERATIONS

Hardly had Knock Out finished with Silverstreak's check up when the next in line for him was ready to hatch. Ratchet was there to help with those hatchlings that were given to Smokescreen, but Knock Out had insisted on being able to take care of his hatchlings all on his own. He was a doctor, he reminded everyone, and so he could do the whole procedure. So he was about to send Silverstreak to the nursery along with Smokescreen (Arcee and Flare Up were still on vacation with Bulkhead and Bumblebee) but Silverstreak said, "Can't I go with you?"

Knock Out raised a brow and paused. Then he smiled with a shrug. "Alright."

Silverstreak watched in quiet fascination as Knock Out fairly repeated with his brother Swiftshimmer what had happened when Silverstreak had hatched. Swiftshimmer was a little wilder than Silverstreak and did not want to go for his check up so that Knock Out had to scoop him up and make him go. He also had little problem with the nursery and all three made it there just in time to be told that the next hatchling was ready.

Silverstreak still insisted upon following Knock Out when Knock Out had to leave again. The next in line was Blue Streak, and he was somewhere in between Swiftshimmer and Silverstreak in wandering; though he asked far more questions than the two combined. After the check up this time Knock Out got to relax for a few minutes before another hatched and simply chill with his "sons", and he did not mind the questions.

"How long before we get to go outside?" asked Blue Streak after looking eagerly out the window.

Silverstreak watched Knock Out's posture and tried to imitate it.

"After two weeks, most likely," remarked Knock Out mildly under half closed lids, and he glanced mildly at Silverstreak.

"Is that when we get to choose vehicle modes?" asked Blue Streak.

"Oh, I can't wait!" said Silverstreak.

Knock Out beamed, "That'll probably be my favorite part of this. Maybe we'll even be able to get you Earth vehicle modes."

"Can you move your wheels up at the top?" asked Blue Streak.

"Naturally," he said, and turned them easily on their axels.

How impressed the little ones were made him laugh.

"What's Earth?" Blue Streak then asked.

Something small and metal and scrambling landed on his back suddenly and let out a little "ouff!"

Knock Out made a face of alarm and tried to look behind him.

"Swiftshimmer…" he warned. "What are you doing?"

What made it most annoying was that he could not reach him on his back until at last the hatchling scrambled to the top of Knock Out's shoulders where he nestled at Knock Out's neck to try to get a good look at his bare wheels.

"What's he doing?" Blue Streak demanded Silverstreak.

Silverstreak only shrugged.

Knock Out plucked Swiftshimmer from his collar and set him on the floor.

"Don't do that again," he said sternly. "You're going to scratch something."

Swiftshimmer nodded.

Then once he was satisfied that Swiftshimmer got the message he smiled again and turned the wheels for them and they all three were doubly impressed and doubly eager to get wheels of their own.

It was shortly after that that Knock Out had to leave again. Silverstreak insisted upon going with him as usual while the other two stayed with one of Arcee's older hatchlings good at keeping younger hatchlings from getting into mischief while he was gone.

Blur and Sideswipe went by and added more to the group, and there were five more here and ten more there within the next couple days. Silverstreak never once missed coming with Knock Out though many other came with as well on and off. Sideswipe especially liked riding along on his foot for the first day of his hatching before he got too big; though a few younger ones then learned to copy him. As long as they stayed on his feet and did not try to climb higher he did not mind. They could not do much damage down there when first hatched and they did not hinder his walking either.

One time when Silverstreak was by himself with Knock Out he had to ask with some annoyance, "How many is there going to be, Knock Out?"

"You have to share me with your siblings, now," said Knock Out with some humor. "There aren't many of us adults left, you know. There are less than ten of us and all the new generation both hatched and unhatched will amount to nearly one thousand in all."

"Wow," Silverstreak said quite impressed. "But why are there so few adults?"

"Well, I'm sure I told you some of it," said Knock Out.

"The War," said Silverstreak a tad quietly.

It was a subject that most hatchlings treated as something quite serious; though they did not quite understand it. Many of the hatchlings that had seen the fight outside the nursery window had already gotten their wheels and left, but for those who had not yet, they told the newer ones all about that so that it made the past more real for them. They also told about what little they knew about the fight with Soundwave when he had attacked the hatchery. It became a favorite pastime to tell the story and play out the story and it made Knock Out laugh.

"Yes, the War," remarked Knock Out now, "so it'll be a while before everything evens out."

There were a few more hatchlings and it was a busy pace; though Knock Out was able to keep up and the other hatchlings were hanging about him eagerly when they could, but at last it was halted when one hatchling did not come out right.

"Chase," Knock Out named him when he first opened his optics and he looked just a little sleepy still.

Some of the others had done the same for a moment or two so at first Knock Out was not much concerned.

"Do I get to chase?" Chase asked happily; though his smile suddenly fell as he tried to follow Knock Out to the medical center.

He got up onto his feet and fell over again looking more and more weary and he began to pant as though from heat and pain.

"Chase?" asked Knock Out and lifted him up.

He looked simply awful yet he lifted his head very bravely and said, "I can try to stand, I can try."

"No," said Knock Out calmly; though inside he felt extremely frustrated. The hatchling he been just fine inside of his energon sack.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Silverstreak.

Knock Out did not answer but moved quickly to the medical center.

His guess was that somehow Chase's body was not utilizing the energon properly without being submerged in it. Very quickly Chase looked weaker and weaker in Knock Out's hands as he scanned him and saw that though his guess was correct he would have to fix him immediately or risk Chase's death on the spot.

"I'll fix you," said Knock Out firmly.

Chase nodded. "Okay."

His bravery was what struck him most. He did not complain or moan like he knew some of the other hatchlings would have. He was sure he would have been pretty upset had this happened to him as a hatchling, but Knock Out did not think long about it. He did not have time. It was not a difficult fix, but it was time consuming. Chase had to be put into stasis and he had to be opened up, but Knock Out had the slender hands for it.

Silverstreak stayed the entire time, watching and waiting with deep concern but with entire confidence in Knock Out.

Knock Out was very satisfied when Chase awoke and smiled alertly as he took his energon the way a Cybertronian is meant to, but the whole procedure suddenly had made Knock Out quite behind with his other hatchlings.

Very quickly he became so overwhelmed that at last he nearly collapsed in front of Ratchet and moaned, "Ratchet! I need help!"

"Then why didn't you ask for it earlier?" Ratchet demanded, but he wasted no time in assisting.

#

"I didn't know that optics could change color," said Silverstreak one day; he was little over halfway grown to his full height by then.

A week had passed and with Ratchet's and now Arcee's and Flare Up's help Knock Out was able to do his job well and have time to relax now and then even if there was always at least one or two hatchlings that would be hanging around him. Admittedly, he never minded. It had been hard at first to remind all the hatchlings to keep up their energon intake when they were very small and went through their small doses so quickly, but Flare Up was quite good at keeping track of that so he did not even have to worry about that so much anymore. Besides, the more hatchlings he gathered, the more he had grown attached to them as a whole, so that when he was not overwhelmed he quite liked raising them.

Knock Out glanced mildly at Silverstreak when he spoke. He had not been aware that he had been standing there until that moment, and as he looked down at those wide optics of Silverstreak's, he smiled and said, "Where'd you hear about that?"

"I didn't," said Silverstreak with a shake of his head. "It's just you're optics are a strange color now, almost purple in a way. They were kind of reddish when I first saw you when I first hatched."

Knock Out raised a brow. "Really? Only redd _ish_ when you first saw me?"

Silverstreak nodded.

Smiling broader and looking out ahead of him briefly, Knock Out rubbed his chin and muttered, "That's very interesting."

"Does everyone's optics change color?" asked Silverstreak then.

"They can," said Knock Out, attention immediately back on Silverstreak. "If you're angry enough and hate enough. It apparently takes a long time to cool down too once you're not angry anymore."

"But Racer got angry and nothing happened to his optics!" Sideswipe announced suddenly bouncing over. He was still much smaller than Silverstreak.

"Not as angry as you!" shot Racer who had been playing with another hatchling before he overheard this.

"Ah, ah, no fighting," said Knock Out. "You know I hate that. It has to be real anger and real hatred. Decepticon hatred."

Everyone nearby looked interested now hearing the word, "Decepticon." They hurried over to hear more.

"Do all Decepticons have red optics?" asked Blue Streak curiously.

"Yes."

"Even the one that's locked up in the prison?"

Knock Out made a funny sort of expression that looked amused, but something else too, as he always did when Starscream was mentioned. "Yes."

"But you're not a Decepticon," said Silverstreak frowning.

"Well," said Knock Out with a more candid shrug than before as he briefly closed his optics. "Actually I was."

Everyone gasped. When Knock Out opened his optics again he almost felt uncomfortable to see all the wide blank optics surrounding him in their horror. Some had even backed away.

"What?" Knock Out demanded a little childishly himself now. "I'm not anymore. Jetfire used to be one too."

"No, you're not!" said Racer.

"I was," said Knock Out. "Emphasis on 'was', Racer. It's okay, really."

'What happened?" asked Glistening, the only girl in his group.

"Well, it's kind of a long story," said Knock Out. "I might not be able to finish it before I have to get another sibling."

"Oh, please," said Glistening.

Some of the others agreed.

 _Do I spoil them_? He thought quite pleased. _Maybe_.

He rolled his optics which would soon be energon blue just as everyone else's, and he consented pleasantly, "Alright."

But Racer was leaving.

"Are you okay, Racer?"

Racer looked back but he did not answer before he hurried away to find someone else to play with.

"He'll be alright," he assured the others who were looking after him curiously or concerned.

And thus he began. He tried to keep it brief. Their attention spans were kind of short anyway during this growing period. Though, the hatchlings made it longer by asking him questions every few sentences, especially at first. He eventually got them to settle down enough to speak. It was strange, he had to admit, relating such a tale to the little ones in a way that he thought they would understand best, and he spoke it all without restraint otherwise and as candidly as he ever spoke.

Very few of them really understood anything more than that he was hijacked and believed he was forced to be a Decepticon. They did not even understand the part about him being a coward and how everyone else had stood up for the Autobots at his laboratory on old Cybertron but he had not. They understood courage, but they did not understand Knock Out being a coward. How even less could they picture Knock Out truly being evil? They did not need to understand it completely now, but he realized that it was most likely better to tell them now than later. Maybe it would be good for them in themselves too and not just for their relationship with him, knowing a little bit about the trickery of being a Decepticon to guard against such things as was the hope of Bumblebee and the rest.

Eventually Racer came back and nestled close to Knock Out, and Knock Out let him without bringing attention to it.

Every hatchling near him hung on every word of his tale right up until he got to the part about where he was now. And he admitted in his usual candid spirit that he was quite pleased to be here with them and he would trade this life on New Cybertron for nothing else.

That tickled them up exceedingly; though then they started to argue about who liked Knock Out more. Knock Out rolled his optics.

"Okay, okay," he groaned. "None of that! I love you all equally so you should all love me equally. There's enough of me to go around."

He was surprised but quite pleased with the impression that made upon them, and he sighed with relief as they quickly forgot their argument.

 _Hatchlings_ , he thought happily. _Gotta love 'em._


	32. After Story 2: Red Haze

JMJ

THIRTY-TWO: RED HAZE

Life imprisonment was his sentence at the trial. Starscream did not withhold his growl of rage before he was forced by vehicons (now called vehibots by everyone else) back to his cell. During his trial he had been as small and meek and pitiful a creature as ever one had seen. He had implored, he had begged, but as Bumblebee put it, there was no promise of Starscream's that any of the Autobots could trust. There was no word that Starscream said that anyone could believe.

He could see the guilt in Bumblebee's eye when he had pointed this out himself. A similar sort of guilt had always glinted in Optimus Prime's eyes. Or pity, perhaps was a better word, and pity was not enough to make Bumblebee change his decision no matter how Starscream tried to play with it with words in miserable tones and humbly imploring with hands held together. Starscream could not be trusted was the final word, and unless something changed to prove Starscream's change of spark he would be forever forbidden to see Cybertron save from a screen or a window.

For the first few seconds Starscream only stared out in a sort of despair, but anger quickly rose. The violence of his snarl and the hated blazing forth from his crimson optics was enough to prove to everyone present that the judgment upon him was just.

"You'll rue this day, Autobots!" Starscream snarled savagely, almost gruesomely; he even spat up energon as he spoke, "I promise you! I will forever be a dark blight upon your shining sanctimonious society! You'll be sorry!" His voice capacitator cracked, and the menace returned to frantic fear and desperation before the end, but it was too late to prove anything to anyone. They all knew him well. Too well.

"The jury was not impartial!" he sobbed. "You're all prejudiced against me! Optimus Prime would have given me a chance! Optimus Prime made you give Knock Out a chance, but it was too late for him to sanction a chance for _me_! Is it my fault that chance and destiny are against me!? I—I never wanted a part of the Decepticons! Megatron tricked me! Brainwashed me! It's _his_ fault not mine! I was a forsaken hatchling! Ignored by society! Scorned by the council! Hated for being different! It's not my fault! I'm a victim! A _victim_ , you hear! Just give me one more chance! One more chance! I'll prove myself! Wait! Please, I beg you! _No_! I beg you to reconsider the verdict! Please!"

He was dragged away. His weapons and transforming abilities were already disabled and his hands were laser cuffed, so that though he shoved the vehibots a bit, they soon overpowered him, and it was not long before four black walls greeted him again after the sealing up of a heavy magnetically sealed door.

There Starscream was left sprawled on the floor, all negative emotion pulsing at once through his mental processing systems so that he felt he would burst: rage, despair, fear, resentment, loneliness…

Eternity in this darkness awaited him, alone with his thoughts. Starscream did not know if he could bear it. They might as well have put him into stasis lock for how miserable he would be here all by himself with only broken memories as his companions. But stasis lock was too good for Starscream apparently, even though he knew that if it had been their decision to put him into stasis lock he would have hated and feared such a fate more than an eternity alone.

"Ah, but then," he reminded himself miserably as he stared into the empty glow of red from his optics upon the otherwise blackened floor, "it always has been thus. Only two people in the whole universe have ever considered me as anything other than something to be thrown away. The new council is no different from the old, especially in this regard."

Not even his days as a hatchling had been filled with warmth, he told himself, even though that was not true. There had been a very kind nurse that had treated him with gentle affection for those two weeks of his growing up even when he did not get along well with other hatchlings. But now he only remembered her scolding and warnings not her words of encouragement for a sensitive spark. There were only two people in his mind that had showed him any regard as a Cybertronian, as an equal, as a person with dignity, and how they were polar opposites in all but that they were great leaders both physically and mentally.

"The mighty warlord, master of the Decepticons, Megatron," said Starscream, "and Optimus Prime of the Autobot Cause."

His heavy panting had ceased. He sat quietly on the floor now upon his knees, facing the door as though some altar lay beyond it that was denied him.

As he thought of those opposing figures, immortalized in his mind as clearly as though they were standing on either side of him no matter how he knew them both to be terminated, he felt very small and insignificant. He hated that feeling. He had always despised it, had always tried to stifle it with dreams of power and might, dreams that became reachable goals in his mind at one time even to be leader himself, but he had learned rather recently that he could not be leader.

"It may well be," he murmured quietly to himself, "that neither Megatron nor Optimus truly saw anything in me but a loose cannon to be tamed, but both understood me more than anyone else I know."

Would things have been different had he chosen to follow Optimus instead of Megatron?

Perhaps.

Would he have been happy and fulfilled as Jetfire and Knock Out seemed to be after letting go pride and causes and allowing life and virtue to fill them instead?

Starscream doubted it.

It was true only after Optimus' death had it occurred to Starscream that at least Optimus himself was no hypocrite, that he believed in justice and honesty and the greater good and the spirituality even of good and evil and that evil only brought despair and painful hatred and goodness brought hope and peace not just for those around a person but for the person himself even after a spark has returned to the Allspark.

But Starscream could not allow himself to believe that. The ideals of Megatron had always made more sense to him—the power of self, the unity for a better Cybertron as the main strength and power in the universe, for respect among the stars, for glory and pleasures. All this had always made more sense. It was self fulfillment of one's own abilities by one's own power, and yes, working together with everyone else's united powers. That was always the part of Megatron's philosophy that somehow Starscream did not feel applied to himself. But ever had Starscream longed to prove his power perhaps even more than gaining more power. Cybertron could have been a beacon of power in the universe. Every planet could have paid them homage, could have worshiped them like gods while the elite of Cybertron surveyed the commune existence of the others, but everything had failed. Megatron had gone mad, and Starscream knew deep down that it was more than several deaths that had driven his master mad. It had been his quest for power.

That quest for power had led Megatron to things he should not have allowed it to go. Allowing his senses to be controlled in order to control did not make sense in the end. Starscream shuddered now to think of that power that had only once pulsed through him, but had affected him for so long afterwards. That power had been gained only by giving up one's will to do so, a gamble that you might be taken over instead of the power being controlled by you. Of course Unicron was captured and his power was useless now, but it made Starscream sick to think that he may have been controlled just as Megatron had for those brief spurts because of what he had done. Now Megatron was dead, and his sanity had long before left him. It was possible it had left him since the moment he put dark energon inside of himself and it had only grown worse from there before his demise.

It made Starscream wonder fearfully now that he was alone in the dark in a place where not even a guard would listen to him, if somehow that power was still over him.

Was he cursed?

Maybe he was. Maybe that was why he could not join Cybertron renewed. It was not his fault. Maybe if he had not been cursed he could have been out there too. It was Megatron's fault. He had tricked him. He had always tricked him. He had used him from the beginning. He had never cared about him! And as for Optimus Prime? He was no better. He did not try hard enough to rescue him from this curse! He was weak, a fool, a sentimental idealist for a cause impossible to achieve. He had expected too much from Starscream. He had trusted his followers too much. It was Arcee's fault he had not joined them when he really wanted to. Even when he tried to be good, when he really tried ("and believe me," he told himself, "what a strain on a poor creature like me that is") he had always been denied and pushed down lower than before. Even true loyalty to Megatron had only led to this.

"If I wanted to be good now," he told himself, "even if my optics were bluer than the sky above, I would be denied the very warmth of the sun still."

And here he would be forever in this darkness with no means of escape. He knew this to be so. He had already tried so many times to escape before his trial. Only that traitor Skywarp had ever succeeded in escaping and that had been pure luck. Not like Starscream, the most pitiful of sparks in the known universe.

It was a self-pity that Starscream felt he rightfully deserved. No one else would take pity on him. Only two ever had and whether their intentions were honorable or not, it grieved Starscream to know that they were dead. He felt positive Optimus would have given him some sort of a chance to prove himself. He was convinced of this, but that was the irony of it. Wallowing in irony was the best way to wallow, and no one wallowed more regally and without restraint than Starscream.

He did not know for how long he wallowed. It seemed like eternity, but it was strange he had to admit that in time the emotions became sluggish even if not diminished. Cybertronians were meant to live a very long time, and monotony was something a Cybertronian, even with a busy, tortuous mind like Starscream's, could handle far better than a person of another race could. In time he went into a sort of standby mode and only moved to take his energon sent through his slot in the wall. The pacing had ended, but his mind still thought.

He began to give up hope of ever seeing the light of day, but he did not give up the ironic thought that Optimus would have given him a chance. He knew, or thought he knew, right down to the core of his spark, so that he nearly came to think of him as the only friend he had ever had. Starscream had a way of allowing his emotions to create his reality even when sluggish, and he was finally so convinced of his friendship with Optimus that he wished Optimus was there before him, but it was perhaps a little more than just emotion this time. It was actual regret, perhaps still rather selfish, but a regret that he had not taken Optimus' offer for peace all that long time ago when at the time being in charge had felt so important.

"I'm sorry," he whispered. "Really and truly I am."

Honestly he was sorrier for himself than he was sorry that his actions had been wrong, but he felt that his apology was the most sincere one he had ever made.

"If I ever get the chance to come out of this wretched hole, I'll be different," he promised the deceased Optimus Prime another time, and this time he was a little more sincerely sorry, but not by much. "I will follow your ways. I won't be a follower of that mad fool Megatron and his cursed Cause for all the good it's ever done me! I'd humble myself before you if I could. I will be your loyal servant or Bumblebee's if you so wish. I promise. I promise. I'll amend my ways, even though I know I have many faults. I will be the meekest and most honorable and most dutiful of all your subjects if only you gave me Knock Out's chance for redemption and that I could escape this anguish!"

He had made so many empty promises in his life, but he felt that his word in his cell was the most sincere that anyone could make. Although the very next day he was on Megaton's side again when he felt his promises ignored and that Optimus was a self righteous fool after all, and Megatron had been the right one; though he never dared to speak directly to him even if he was dead. Then he would believe both of them were fools, because both of them were dead and he was alive and had to somehow figure out a way to trick someone into letting him out even if it took a thousand years until he would grow tired of that and lonely and forsaken and he would begin all over again with Optimus.

Then one day, one very strange out of the blue sort of day, he heard and felt an explosion…

His optics widened, and he stirred from his sluggish standby mode.

Had he gone mad? Delusional?

No, the wall was crumbling before his optics.

He stared gaping in disbelief at the pod crashed through the wall. Alarms and lights came from behind it outside. His optics were almost more drawn to the outside world than they were to the pod in front of him. He took a few dazed steps towards the cracks around the pod. Up at the stars, he gazed above the brilliantly-built new capital of Cybertron. His mouth dropped, and then he smiled stupidly. A twitch formed beneath an optic, as though he had gone partly mad, but he was suddenly sobered, or at least frightened, by the sudden bursting forth of someone from the pod.

" _Skywarp_?!" he shrieked.

#

Again he blinked stupidly as he watched Skywarp leap out deftly and land in front of him. He looked awful. With worn face and scorch marks upon his body, it would have been bad enough, but it was the sounds that made Starscream feel queasy. Sparking sounds and queer whirring and grinding escaped from somewhere inside of him. They sounded painful and once he even saw a flicker behind his optic.

Skywarp smiled. "At last!" he hissed in a manner that was not like Skywarp. "I found you, Starscream. I knew that you had been captured here."

"Skywarp?" Starscream laughed a little and backed up against the far wall. "Are you quite yourself?"

"Quick," Skywarp said. "Get back in the pod and we'll escape before anyone knows. I'll bring you to Lord Megatron where we are to lead the ranks. He demands his first lieutenant."

Utterly shocked Starscream's mind went blank as he stared gaping.

"Come on!" Skywarp insisted, grabbing Starscream by the arm and pulling him forward. "Victory is— _tzwz_ —is within our grasp! And we need everyone there!"

"But Lord Megatron is dead!" squeaked Starscream, now he really did think he had gone mad. Surely none of this was real. Surely this was all some horrible fabrication of his mind.

Furious at such a remark, Skywarp, much out of character threw Starscream onto the ground, and Starscream allowed himself to fall limp at his feet.

"Traitor," snarled Skywarp, and he straightened and sniffed as he lifted his weapon. "I knew it. You're still only a coward, Starscream, and Lord Megatron no longer— _tzwz_ —no longer has patience for cowards."

"Guards! Somebody!" wailed Starscream backing away again backwards and still sprawled on the ground as he pulled with his hands until he hit the wall again and then shielded his face with his arms. "Help! _He's crazy_!"

"Ah, so you are friends with the Autobots," remarked Skywarp. "Then I will terminate you."

"Wait, Skywarp!" Starscream whimpered and begged. "Please! We're like brothers you and I! Please, let us let bygones be bygones!"

"Our relationship means nothing when it comes to the survival of the Decepticon Cause!"

"Well!" gasped Starscream scrambling for the right words. "I thought it was standard procedure that all traitors were to be brought to Lord Megatron himself." He grinned. "Right? That has _always_ been standard procedure."

Skywarp looked thoughtful briefly and then shrugged. "Not with Starscream."

Then he lifted his missile hand into Starscream's face.

Starscream screamed, but not before the unknown guards emerged and jumped on Skywarp, and on Starscream too. Although Starscream angrily growled and snarled that it was not his doing but Skywarp's he was relieved that Skywarp was caught, and soon another Cybertronian that he had never seen before, fully adult and strong and young, looked down upon Starscream and said resolutely, "He should be moved to a new cell."

Another unknown Cybertronian agreed.

The guards had already removed Skywarp.

Starscream was still so in a daze that by the time he was removed to a new cell he did not know whether he had dreamt the occurrence somehow or not, except that his markings he had clawed on the walls of his old cell were gone.

 _But who knows_ , he thought goofily, _maybe I dreamt all that too._

#

Turning from the grand window through which he had glanced only briefly, Bumblebee looked back at the others around him at their meeting in Capital Hall. He had found himself caught by the sight of the prison where Bulkhead's crew worked on the reconstruction of that prison wall that Skywarp had damaged. A sudden thought disturbed him, and it was not just that Skywarp had been able to sneak onto Cybertron in a state of madness.

"But how did he get past the defenses?" a younger Cybertronian wanted to know.

"Most likely with technology from the _Knight_ ," said Ultra Magnus somberly.

Bumblebee nodded in agreement. "Skywarp obviously got to it first."

"But we were still recovering from the damage that Soundwave brought and raising the hatchlings then," said Ratchet.

"I know," Bumblebee said. "We should be more careful with our defenses."

"I agree," said Ultra Magnus. "But we are still training in the defense teams. I am training mine for the ground surveillance."

"And I am training mine for the air watchers," added Jetfire.

"But what are we going to do with Skywarp?" asked Ultra Magnus with a raised brow.

Bumblebee turned to Ratchet. That was ultimately why they were here.

It was a troubling event, Skywarp coming out of the blue like he had. He had brought no one with him, so there was no true danger from the Decepticons. Starscream had not escaped and had been removed to a new cell, but Skywarp was still in holding, in a sort of limbo. Ratchet was given the duty of finding out the details. Skywarp was raving mad and by the sparks that flew from him it was guessed to be a medical problem rather than a psychological one.

"Well," said Ratchet in full seriousness, "after my examination I think whatever happened to Skywarp was caused by a severe burst of magnetism, which damaged his mental processors. Asking him the details is impossible as I don't think he remembers what happened. He's convinced he is in the midst of the War after it started going off planet when he's thinking straight forwardly at all and even that is flawed and mixed with other time periods."

"Is there any chance for recovery?" asked Bumblebee.

"No," said Ratchet simply, and he paused briefly. "Not true recovery. The only way to fix his mind would be to take out the damaged brain modules and replace them. Otherwise we'll just have to keep him here until he possibly loses the rest of his mind. The corroded modules are in danger of corroding what's left."

"So…if we took out the brain modules, though, his brain would start over," said one of the younger generation that had attended the meeting as an assistant, and he shrugged. "That wouldn't be so bad. I mean, then he wouldn't remember being a Decepticon, and he would be fine, wouldn't he?"

Ratchet's face darkened so that the younger one made a coughing motion and turned away sheepishly.

"That would've been _my_ thought," admitted Bumblebee standing up for the younger one. "I mean, from what you're suggesting, if we don't his mind will just fail on its own anyway. It's worth a try."

Ratchet sighed. "It may be, but it is not something to be taken lightly. If we take out all the modules and start over he will be so wiped clean that he'll practically be a hatchling again, but at this time of his life it would not be wise."

"Because we would have to tell him he was a Decepticon," said one of the other younger Cybertronians.

"Exactly," said Ratchet with his usual atmosphere on such grave subjects; the gravity in his voice still sometimes made some of the younger ones uncomfortable when he would speak that way. "We would have to be very careful in telling him the events of his life," Ratchet went on holding up a finger for emphasis, "for the uncertainty of how he will respond to it."

"Can't any modules be salvaged?" as Bumblebee.

"Some," Ratchet admitted, "but not many, I don't think, especially the longer it takes to make this decision."

"I have a proposition then," said Jetfire clearing his throat.

"Yes?" asked Bumblebee.

"The reason I'm here, actually. I believe that if we are truly going to keep with the line of thought of families and clans," said Jetfire with an emphatic clank of his staff, "and if Skywarp will become in a sense as a hatchling whether entirely blank or not—"

"Well, actually," said Ratchet quietly, "he will most likely still feel the maturity of an adult and his personality and possibly even his current way of thinking may still remain."

" _Hrum_!" said Jetfire. "What I mean!" he continued firmly, "is that I would be willing to consider him my responsibility. I'll keep an eye on him when I can so that he has a base."

"You do have many already to care for," Ultra Magnus reminded him.

"Then again," said Ratchet with care, "if after the procedure he does have time, Jetfire may also have some insight too about how to explain to Skywarp his life as he was a Decepticon himself."

"True," Ultra Magnus admitted and turning again to Jetfire he said, "as long as it doesn't take away from your other duties."

"I did not plan on devoting my entire life to him, sir," said Jetfire. "Only to help when I can, and I do believe that I can."

"That sounds good, thank you, Jetfire," Bumblebee said with a smile and then to Ratchet he said, "Then you should go on with the procedure, Ratchet."

Ratchet nodded.


	33. After Story 2: The Last Decepticon

THIRTY-THREE: THE LAST DECEPTICON

Bumblebee decided that now was a good time to go about his rounds to see how everything was going in person as he liked to do. He hoped that Cybertron would never be so overwhelming as to keep him in the capital building making decision from there and not to allowing him to see everything first hand.

Despite the fact that he had accepted his position as leader, he still would often enough see his reflection on some gleaming glass or an especially shining piece of metal and he would think that he looked nothing like a leader nor could he believe he was the leader of Cybertron, but he was not unhappy about it as he had been before. In fact, somehow it made him feel close to Optimus, especially when it was a struggling time. None of the problems on new Cybertron were anything compared to those problems Optimus had had to deal with as leader, of course, but Bumblebee thought he had come to better understand him, and that made him happy all around.

He could not help but wish right now that Optimus was there in person too, and that he could talk to him as he was about to talk to everyone else. After all, what he truly felt of himself was that he was still only a young scout in the place of leader. He had no doubt also that Optimus had thought similarly despite how everyone else could not have conceived of anyone other than Optimus leading. He could picture now Optimus' surprise and dismay when the council wanted to make him the next Prime, and he smiled to himself.

"Bee?"

Bumblebee turned pleasantly to Arcee.

"I was just thinking," he told her.

"Would it be alright if I asked the president what those thoughts were?" Arcee teased.

Bumblebee shrugged. "I was thinking about Optimus."

Arcee nodded solemnly in understanding, and then she said kindly, "You're not worrying, though."

"No, just wondering," said Bumblebee he looked away embarrassed. "Actually I was wondering about what he would say to do about Starscream."

" _Starscream_? Not Skywarp?" said Arcee in surprise. "Nothing. Bee, there's nothing you can do about Starscream. He's chosen his path."

"I know," said Bumblebee, and again he turned to look out the window at the prison, "but, especially lately, I've been wondering if these years in prison have done anything to calm him down. I mean I know at his trial he would have said anything to keep us from locking him up, but part of me wanted to give him a chance. I might have if it had not been that I didn't want to risk him trying to stir up trouble when we just got Cybertron settled down again, especially with the hatchlings."

"He just would have ended up betraying you even if there was no fear of him stirring up the new generation," said Arcee in full seriousness. "We don't even know what Skywarp's going to do when _he_ has senses again. Ratchet seems to think being a Decepticon will still be in him even without most of his memories, and we'll have to deal with that soon. We can't deal with Starscream too. He doesn't know what he wants, but the only thing he _knows_ is being a Decepticon."

"I'm not hoping for a miracle," said Bumblebee, "I just think that if I don't at least make his imprisonment a little better for him, he'll lose his mind, and I feel that I have a little responsibility towards him. Somehow I think, now that everything's under control for the most part, that Optimus would think so too. His imprisonment doesn't have to be worse than death."

"I see what you mean," Arcee admitted looking thoughtful for a moment. "As long as making him more comfortable doesn't allow him to escape easier."

Bumblebee nodded. "Even if he does, there's no place for him to go. I think Skywarp's already proven that, and I think Starscream knows that too."

#

The door opened in the impassive way of automatic doors, revealing nothing of the manner of entrance of the one coming through it as a manual door would have. Starscream jumped and spun around not sure what to expect as a result, but he was quite more surprised than he thought possible to see that the president of Cybertron was standing in the light from the doorway, nor did he withhold a gasp as he stepped back a pace and winced suspiciously.

"Bumblebee!?" he demanded.

Then he recovered himself and he asked with a tone of dry reserve, "To what do I owe the honor?"

"You're wellbeing," said Bumblebee.

Starscream's optics widened, and he could no longer control his hopes. In spite of himself he fell at Bumblebee's feet. "You've come to give me a chance for freedom!" He threw his hands up above him and delight. "Oh, I never hoped that this day would come! You have no idea how happy I am to hear—"

But just as he was about to reach for Bumblebee a shield force-field of sorts blocked his way, and although a laser and certainly a missile could have penetrated it (thus why it had not often been used in the War), Starscream's pawing hands could not.

"What?" Starscream demanded.

They did not trust him! Well, naturally they did not. Starscream recoiled and pouted.

"I'm sorry, Starscream," said Bumblebee calmly. "I'm not here to release you from prison."

Starscream turned away and crossed his arms staunchly. "Then why bother coming?"

"Well, for one thing I came to discuss easing your sentence by possibly giving you something to do and someplace better to be…maybe even a place with a window or a screen to the outside. Possibly, also if you want it and you don't abuse it, you might have company now again."

There was not much to look at, and Bumblebee winced a little himself thinking of being in here for eternity even if Starscream did deserve it in a way. He had not forgotten what sort of murderer and a backstabber Starscream was. As Starscream slowly turned around at the sound of the automatic door closing at Bumblebee's command to a guard to do so, Starscream noted his tenseness and perhaps regret of coming even with his shield to protect him.

"But no chance for freedom," said Starscream after a short pause.

"Well, if you want me to go," said Bumblebee turning around with a shrug. "It's for your benefit not mine that I came."

"You can open the door again," said Bumblebee with communications.

" _Already_?"

"Wait!" Starscream found himself shouting. Even though he knew there was some reverse psychology in what Bumblebee was doing, he knew also that Bumblebee would not stop if he did not tell him to.

"Wait a minute," said Bumblebee then as he returned to Starscream.

Starscream hesitated. "I…" again he paused, twiddling his fingers and hunching over awkwardly before he asked with grave suspicion, "Why would you be willing to visit with me? Some sort of charity? Or is there more to it than that?"

"Like what?"

Starscream opened his mouth, but nothing came out but a funny little sound. Then Starscream flustered and growled.

"Well, _you_ know!" he then growled. "To find out—! Because you want to— _agh_! You need me to tell y— _ih_ —Well, _because_ …!" His optics shifted queerly and then he let loose a dark frown and he straightened his posture importantly. " _Humph_ , so it's charity, is it?"

Again Bumblebee shrugged. "For your wellbeing."

"Taking after Optimus, I see," Starscream remarked.

There was another short pause, and he returned to a rather hunched state, arms thrown around his back. Then he waved his hand aside in a sort of patronizing manner. Adorned in an expression as though about to yawn, he turned idly away in the most theatrical manner.

He muttered with drama to match, "Well, if you insist."

" _Should I still open the door, sir_?" asked the guard outside.

"That's alright, Goldshield, I'll let you know."

" _Sure thing, Mr. President_."

Starscream sighed. "Since, none of our discussions are to be about letting me go free, what did you have in mind for my new accommodations? Or my 'work', as you put it."

"I'm not sure about what sort of job we could have you do yet, but I've already asked and a larger and airier cell could be made just as secure as this one if given the time, and we really have all the time in the world now," said Bumblebee.

"True," muttered Starscream. "I suppose the hatchlings are all grown and situated, and everything is going well on Cybertron." He smiled. "Are you sure it wasn't boredom that brought you here, Mr. President?"

"I'm pretty sure," said Bumblebee. "There's still plenty to do. There's still plenty of Cybertron to rebuild, and interactions between here and Earth haven't stopped. We're getting very close to making contact with the Dinobot planet. The younger generation still has much to learn, and we're always on the lookout for survivors of the War."

"Have you found any more?" asked Starscream. "Besides, Skywarp, of course. By the way, what happened to Skywarp? That was about nine days ago now."

Bumblebee paused.

"What?" sniffed Starscream, "am I restricted from knowing about him?"

"He's not doing well," said Bumblebee. "He's under Ratchet's care. He's informed us that he had a kind of magnetic corrosion in his brain modules."

"Poor Skywarp," Starscream said though there was not an ounce of pity in his voice. "He always was a fine flier and seeker. Cybertron won't be the same without him, I'm sure."

Bumblebee rolled his optics, "Well, you don't have to be like that about it. I thought he was your friend."

"He's no friend of mine," Starscream assured him tersely. "He abandoned me twice, you know. Not to mention his disrespect every chance he got against me during our pitiful attempt at regrouping under Megatron this last time. You have no idea what it's like to be scorned by your very fellow models."

There was quite a number of comebacks that went through Bumblebee's mind as anyone who knew Starscream could imagine themselves. Starscream himself knew this, and watched Bumblebee's optics as these responses were all denied. Bumblebee said nothing in response in the end, and Starscream was not sure whether he should feel grateful or resentful. It was more his way to feel resentful.

 _Just like the self righteous Autobot he is_ , thought Starscream, and again he sighed miserably.

"Look, maybe this is good for now," said Bumblebee after a longer pause than any of the previous pauses. "But you will get your new cell, and we'll try to think of something for you to do—"

"You mean that won't make me a danger in some way?" sneered Starscream.

Bumblebee could not hide his expression of disgust, but he remained very civil as he said, "I'll return another day, if you want me to, but if you'd rather be alone, Starscream, that's up to you."

Again Starscream crossed his arms and glowered after Bumblebee as he turned around with caution even with his shield, but just as Bumblebee was about to contact Goldshield, Starscream felt a sudden panic again. He did not want to be alone, true, but it was more than that. He felt that something had not been settled that should be, that would drive him crazy if he let Bumblebee go without trying.

"Wait."

Bumblebee turned once more. "Yes?"

"Uh…" Starscream hesitated. He had been about to beg for Bumblebee to tell him if there was anything he might do to be released, but he changed his mind. When he could think of nothing else to say, he simply murmured with optics to the floor, "Thank you for coming. You have no idea what it's like to be all alone in here…"

Bumblebee nodded, and with a candid shrug, he simply said, "You're welcome."

With that Bumblebee took his leave, and Starscream was alone again in the dark with promises that he only half believed. In some ways he did not want to believe them. Bumblebee's charity annoyed him, or at least, it should have annoyed him. Somehow he did not feel as annoyed as he expected to feel. In a childish sort of way it irked him that it was not Optimus who had come to him, and Bumblebee was really only a young scout—younger than Starscream anyway, and yet he knew he would get nothing better now.

There was admittedly a small part of him that wished he could follow Bumblebee as he might have followed Optimus, but his pride held him back from encouraging the thought too much. He was so at odds with himself and it pained him until he could not think about it anymore; though more and more he felt and knew that he had been wrong to follow Megatron, even in his philosophies. Only Optimus' ways seemed to offer peace. Even when Optimus was miserable, even in the darkest hours of the War, even when Starscream was laughing, Starscream knew that Optimus had always been more at peace that he was, because Optimus had been doing what was right.

#

When Bumblebee returned, Starscream could not hide his relief to see him enter. He was almost beginning to think Bumblebee would never return and his loneliness had been enough to make him ill and his systems to nearly overheat. The link with the outside world had been severed in Starscream's mind so severely, and the desire to go where he wanted and make his own choices was unbearably strong. He wanted to fly in the sky so badly he could taste it just as much as any bird in a cage. And in this swell of emotion he came to Bumblebee far humbler and more desperate than the first time.

"Oh, Mr. President!" sobbed Starscream. "You actually found time in your busy schedule for your lowly prisoner. The lowliest of all your—"

"Don't do that, Starscream," said Bumblebee shaking his head with a funny look on his face as the door shut behind him.

Starscream wrinkled his face. "You don't want me to be polite?"

"Most people would call that groveling," said Bumblebee.

"Some people like groveling," said Starscream.

Bumblebee shrugged. "No one I know."

" _Ahem_! Well," said Starscream and sarcastically added, "Good afternoon to you too then, esteemed President!"

Bumblebee smiled in a way that Starscream took for cheek. "Good afternoon, Starscream."

"No one asked you to come, you know," retorted Starscream. "I'm on edge. You can't blame me, being excluded from society and all."

"You know why you are," said Bumblebee in full seriousness.

"Because I don't play well with others," said Starscream dryly, but before Bumblebee had a chance to speak again, Starscream asked, "How's my new cell coming?"

"It's coming," said Bumblebee. "You'll get it soon enough."

"Will it have a view?" asked Starscream.

Bumblebee nodded. "Yes, a pretty good view of the capital."

"And the sky?"

"Yes."

"And I'll have more room?"

"A little."

"Is Skywarp getting a similar cell?"

"That hasn't been discussed," Bumblebee admitted, and Starscream could see no irony in his face, and he pouted.

"But he is alive still?" muttered Starscream.

"He is."

"What happened? Is he still recovering?"

Bumblebee sighed. "Yes," he said after a careful pause that Starscream watched with keen interest. "The corrosion was so bad that most of his brain modules had to be replaced."

"Replaced?" Starscream demanded. "But that would mean that he wouldn't remember very much."

"Even his common knowledge had to be replaced, yes," said Bumblebee.

Starscream was taken aback. "But that means he doesn't remember being a Decepticon, does he? He doesn't remember the war. He doesn't even remember the conflict, does he?"

"I don't know what he remembers exactly," Bumblebee admitted. "So far, I'm not sure that Skywarp is recovered enough from the procedure to know himself what he remembers and what he doesn't."

"What did you tell him?" Starscream demanded.

Bumblebee returned him with a very firm look. "The truth."

"Hey! I wasn't the one who lied to Optimus Prime like Megatron did!" Starscream spat defensively before he even thought about what he said. " _I_ told him the truth! Everyone knows that!"

Bumblebee winced. "I wasn't even thinking about that."

Startled, Starscream blinked. "You weren't?" He paused. "Yes, you were!"

"No."

" _Hmph_!" growled Starscream, and then after another pause he asked hesitantly, "Well, then how did he take the truth?"

Bumblebee's optics lowered. "Not very well."

A feeling of petty satisfaction filled Starscream then and with a strange sort of smile he asked, "Didn't he?" Though, he still was beside himself in trying to convince himself that Bumblebee was lying to him at the same time as thinking Skywarp deserved what he got.

"He was already angry that he couldn't remember anything," said Bumblebee simply. "Ratchet explained that although his memories were not intact, that his emotional balance was. He didn't start over like a hatchling. He woke up just as much a Decepticon as ever only now without knowing why."

"So basically you're trying to tell me in your own Autobot way that he's just as crazy as before only in a different way," remarked Starscream lightly.

Bumblebee shook his head. "No. Once we told him, yes, at first he was in a fit of rage, and we did have to lock him up for a time, but he's calmed down since then."

"It was never Skywarp's way to be in a fit of rage anyway," remarked Starscream. "If you're smart you'll keep him locked up, Mr. President. He's less trustworthy even than myself, you know. Do you want to know what he did when he was still lingering trapped on his energon mine as king over the vehicons? You have no idea."

"Not especially, no," said Bumblebee.

"Then what's the latest on Skywarp? I was only trying to warn you."

"Jetfire's taking care of him," said Bumblebee.

"Oh, well, that would keep him under control, I suppose," muttered Starscream.

Bumblebee shrugged candidly. "In more ways than you know, Starscream."

Starscream made a face. "What are you playing at? That Jetfire talked sense into him?"

"Since you guess it, yes."

Starscream was dumbfounded.

"What!?" demanded Starscream, his body tensed, his spark began to burn hotter than usual, his mind too, yes, but his very spark; his brain practically froze with shock that felt like terror worse than a blaster in front of his face. He gaped with horror and rage. "You can't possibly mean to say that you actually are letting him go free!"

"He doesn't want to be a Decepticon," said Bumblebee.

"But isn't he still a danger to the rebuilding of Cybertron!?"

"He wants to join Cybertron as it is," said Bumblebee. "He's under Jetfire now."

"But how can you be sure?" whimpered Starscream.

"His optics are cooling down, and so far he's given us no reason to doubt them; though we have not quite let our guard down yet, and you know Jetfire's watchfulness better than I do, I think."

Envy roared, despair screamed. He felt that he would fall in front of Bumblebee right then and there into every imaginable part scattered across the cell floor. He felt like the whole world abandoned him. He felt so alone and miserable until at last he admitted that he wished he could have switched places with Skywarp. He burned for it until at last he spoke and managed, "Th—that means I'm the last Decepticon!"


	34. After Story 2: Invitation

THIRTY-FOUR: INVITATION

Starscream turned to Bumblebee in panic. " _Please_!" he begged, hands clasped tightly together. " _Please_! Take out my brain modules too! I _beg_ you!"

"What?" Bumblebee said. "No!"

"But then I could be free of this curse! Please, Bumblebee, have mercy!"

"No," said Bumblebee again. "Starscream, get a hold of yourself."

"I don't think I can! I don't even know if I can be free! I don't know anything anymore! I'm sorry! Alright, I'm _sorry_! And I would have told Optimus Prime I'm sorry a million times, but he's not here! I know now, I understand, I was wrong! I know that now! I was a murderer! A betrayer! The Decepticons were wrong! I'll give them up! I'll be an Autobot! I'll do whatever you say! Please, Bumblebee, have mercy, have mercy!"

At first Bumblebee looked so disgusted that he looked to Starscream like he might have fired at him to end his misery—not that Bumblebee would ever have done such a thing to an unarmed prisoner, but he got control of his expression too before Starscream had finished, so that by the end of Starscream's panicked ranting, Bumblebee sighed and said, "Starscream, you don't really mean it."

Panting and gasping and writhing on his knees, Starscream almost did not hear Bumblebee. He still felt like he was going to burst.

"It's only because you're in a cage," Bumblebee went on. "The moment we let you out how can you say that you won't just go back to your ways again? Even if you give up the Decepticons. Even if you claim to be an Autobot. You'll still be what you are. It doesn't work like that. Even if we replaced your brain modules like Skywarp, you'd be so angry and confused that you would blame us for it."

"I…" Starscream lowered his head. His wings drooped with it. He knew that he would blame them.

"You wouldn't believe that you would have willingly given up your memories."

"You won't even give me a chance otherwise," gasped Starscream. "I've learned my lesson. Can't you _see_ that?"

"But you haven't," said Bumblebee. "There's more to evil than being a Decepticon. There was evil before and there will be evil after. It's just a name. You still only care about yourself and no one else."

Slowly the words sunk in, and slowly, slowly, Starscream calmed down. He hated being himself. He hated what he had become, and he feared that what he perceived Bumblebee was saying was right, and that he was doomed with no way to escape.

He shook his head. He could not believe that.

"Optimus said that every sentient being has the capability of redemption," said Starscream very softly.

Bumblebee nodded. "Yes. He did say that."

"Then…" Starscream hesitated. "Please. I would ask Optimus. I would be his humble servant to the end of our days if he was alive now. You must believe me. I'll be yours in his stead. What must I do? Even if I never escape this cage, at least I could escape this constant mental anguish, so that I can at least live with myself."

Bumblebee was taken aback at first by these last words of his sentiment "even if I never escape this cage". Bumblebee could not help but ask though quite doubtfully, "Do you really mean that?"

"I don't know," Starscream admitted fidgeting a little. "I really don't know anymore."

"There's only one way you can escape, Starscream."

Starscream lifted his head miserably and carefully with searching optics.

"You have to think about others more than yourself and let go of your pride."

A strange sort of fear told hold of Starscream's mind and face.

"For real," emphasized Bumblebee.

Starscream nodded, a sort of daze had overcome him as he stared at Bumblebee's optics. A lid ticked queerly, and his wings twitched, but again Starscream nodded.

"Even some Autobots had to let go of their pride," said Bumblebee. "It's a hard thing once it's been inflated. I know. I understand that. I mean, I can't say that I understand being a Decepticon, but I do understand having to let pride go. Are you willing to do that?"

Starscream nodded. "Even if it takes the rest of my life, but I hope it doesn't take that long." And he moaned. "If only Optimus was here."

"That won't help either," Bumblebee told him with a shake of his head. "You had your chance when he was alive. Many chances. He pitied you, you know, and he would have helped you, but now you have to do it without him online."

Starscream nodded yet again.

"Yes, he did pity me," he said. "He pitied me from the moment Megatron took me under his wing. I did not see it that way at the time. I thought he was only afraid of me or did not think I was good enough, and that that pity only came later, but you are right. Even if he did fear what Megatron's powerful words would strengthen me to do, he'd always…"

"Okay, okay, but you gotta stop feeling sorry for yourself too. Think about those you hurt."

"I'll try." Starscream closed his optics as solemnly as he could given the emotional drainage he had just gone through. "I'll try…I know this my last chance. It's the last chance I asked for, and I'm determined not to waste it. But know this, Bumblebee, on this day I vow that if I am the last Decepticon, I will end them!"

#

Needless to say, although Bumblebee had tried to be kind, he did not believe that Starscream truly meant a word of what he said. Oh, yes, he believed that Starscream thought he meant what he said. He could tell his sincerity at the time, but that had always been the funny thing about Starscream. His mind could change like a switch, and how could Bumblebee expect any different than that Starscream only had this particular switch on because of how miserable he was.

But it did surprise him how Starscream did try. It was not overly noticeable at first. Mostly when Bumblebee came to visit him after that, he would talk as before, feeling sorry for himself about being tricked into being a Decepticon. Even the fact that Starscream did not appear overly excited about his new cell as much as he had been proved nothing to Bumblebee. After all, he knew that Starscream valued freedom far beyond a new cell. Who would not? Yet the thank you for it was far more sincere than usual. Bumblebee had to give him that.

However Bumblebee was distracted within the next year, because a new set of hatchlings unexpectedly on the way.

Ratchet theorized that this might have happened because of how fresh and vibrant the planet was at the moment, and with some findings made by Smokescreen, (who was turning more and more historian after his original duty) it was discovered that there were mentions of such a thing happening before. The Cybertron they knew from just before the War, did not produce new Cybertronian life for hundreds of years in between, but this had not even been fifty.

Now this partly disturbed Bumblebee. In the original plan they were going to have the first generation of new Cybertron take care of the next, but they were not ready for that in so short of time. Not truly. But it was worked out in the end. It was a little different depending on the clans and the maturity of the first generations, but the next generation was simply cared for by the clan leaders with extra help from their first generation overall like older siblings.

Another distraction was the new permanent contact with the Dinobots, which was rather confusing at first even if quite exciting. They had been invited to the planet for a feast in their honor for what the Autobots had done for the Raptor-bots and for destroying their captor. Bumblebee had to convince them to wait until after the hatchlings were well on their way to adulthood before such arrangements could be made, because of the mistake in visiting Earth at the wrong time with the first generation. But Bumblebee and Knock Out were especially wanted. After all, Knock Out had been the one to kill Lockdown. All the attention went to his head for a while too and that was not exactly a pleasant experience, but he soon got over it once he returned to Cybertron for which everyone was most grateful.

Before that had become a reality, there was also the visit from Raf and his grandson (yes, grandson, just turned nine, the humans grew way too fast, though Bumblebee tried not to think hard about it). They had come to see the newest generation in the growing process.

As Ratchet was quick to remind everyone, it was the first time as far as he knew that another race had witnessed this process. Even if it was just Raf, it was a little strange for some, especially Ultra Magnus and Jetfire who never had that close of a relationship with the humans. But Bumblebee liked that visit. He had to say that it had to be one of his favorites, and he had spent long hours with Raf and his grandson in their very high tech suits designed by Raf himself…

Needless to say again, this all left Starscream rather in the dark for a while. When Bumblebee remembered him when things were becoming more settled, he realized that it had been the longest between visits since he had begun visiting him. Starscream probably decided that Bumblebee may never return.

As he came to the door to the cell, he prepared himself for the sobbing and complaining awaiting him once the door would open. But as he opened it, nothing happened except Starscream slowly turning his head towards him from where he stood gazing out the window.

Had Starscream's optics been as piercing red as lava flows, he looked at him at that moment in a way that he had never seen Starscream look at anyone. It was strange, but it almost looked to Bumblebee to be a strange look of pity, but then he might have just thought Starscream in a hazy mood or half-crazed if it had not been for the fact his optics were _not_ piercing red. They were nearly not red at all, and of course that was what made Bumblebee jump.

He almost looked like a different person with his huge optics so, well…not red. They were not quite blue, but they certainly were not red, save for the dull reddish rings rimming his pupils Bumblebee saw after a second look.

Of course that queer expression of pity dissipated from Starscream rather quickly when he noticed Bumblebee's surprise, and stiffening in alarm.

"What?! What happened? What's wrong?"

#

Bumblebee shook his head. "Nothing's wrong!"

Starscream cringed. "Do I look sick?" he wanted to know. "What?"

"What have you been doing all this time?"

Starscream hesitated, shifting his digits out in front of himself nervously.

It had been some time since Bumblebee had been here, but Starscream had not been idle. He thought of pressing further about what was wrong, but after a second time of finger twiddling, he cleared his voice capacitator.

"I only did what you told me to do," said Starscream. "I…" He lowered his head overcome with grief. There was nothing he could think of to say that he had not already tried to say. He had apologized so many times it was beyond count, but now that he truly did feel remorse in a calm manner that he had come to feel only so recently, he had no words to expression such remorse.

Bumblebee studied him with care, but for a few moments Starscream did not look up, and when he did he was still very stooped and his face carried the look of a very shamed child that had broken his mother's favorite vase and she was crying about it.

"Why did you come?" asked Starscream then.

"To check up on you," said Bumblebee. "I know it's been a while. A lot's been going on."

Starscream nodded solemnly, his face relaxed now. "I can only imagine, and they deserve your attention far more than I do."

Again Bumblebee made a strange, examining sort of look, and it made Starscream uncomfortable. Bumblebee noticed this, and tried to change the subject. He smiled friendly in manner and made himself comfortable in the light of the window.

"How about I tell you how things are going?" he asked.

Starscream shrugged. "They're going well, I trust."

And Bumblebee told him how everything was, and Starscream listened intently, not withholding his interest in the world that he could not share, but it was a little more like a child hearing about a place that he may never go to, and dreaming about it or waiting for that possibility now had to be good enough. Often he looked out the window as though trying to see the events that Bumblebee spoke of, and he asked many questions. At first Bumblebee was hesitant to answer some of them, but Starscream never really asked any vital information that he could use against anyone even if he did escape. He asked especially questions about Jetfire and Skywarp and how they were getting along.

"Well," said Bumblebee, "Jetfire has set up his clan base very dramatically, actually. He's got a series of aeries now, with elevators for the rest of us, but it's definitely the place for flights, and we've all got our own smaller hatcheries now for this generation. After the young sparks have settled in the main one for a little time with common knowledge and making sure they're healthy they go to the smaller ones for the clans, so Jetfire's been busy with that too. Skywarp's helping him and Skyfire from the first generation has sort of become a second for Jetfire so he's a great help to him, especially since Jetfire is now the head of the aerial security."

"I can't imagine there's been too much out there to worry about," Starscream remarked.

"Well, no _one_ ," said Bumblebee, "but they go up and check the passing comets and other space debris for resources and if anything is of interest to the science department, and Jetfire has drills in case there is an emergency. He also has been at times training the first generation to fly to the best of their abilities, though that's been put on hold for the present."

"I suppose Skywarp doesn't remember aerial acrobatics?" Starscream asked.

"I don't think so," said Bumblebee. "That was lost to him as much as most everything else, but I know you could—"

Starscream lowered his head feeling rather frustrated after Bumblebee sharply cut himself off. Starscream's brows tightened and he made an exasperated sigh.

Bumblebee looked about to tell him something to console him or apologize, but Starscream would not have it. He shook his head, and said staunchly with hands thrown behind his back with a theatrical flair, "They'll work something out, I'm sure, Mr. President."

Bumblebee stifled a laugh, "I just meant that you may—"

"No, no, I understand," said Starscream with another firm shake of his head. "Besides I figured out most of my tricks on my own, I'm sure they will too. It's only a matter of time, and as you said, there is plenty of time."

"Okay," said Bumblebee with a shrug.

Something about the way Bumblebee looked made Starscream feel that Bumblebee was teasing him, but he tried desperately not to be offended. That was what the Autobots did all the time was tease each other, as far as Starscream knew, but it was difficult just for his personality to accept that, for despite his theatrics and often childish behavior he was not one to see the world in a playful light very often. He still sunk a little in his shoulders after Bumblebee's candid shrug and frowned suspiciously. He could not help it.

And after Bumblebee left from his visit, Starscream for a long time pondered over Bumblebee's queer behavior that day. Never once did he believe that it was because of the change that had come over him. He did not think it was that drastic in a cell to warrant such behavior, and it never once occurred to him that his optics had changed until one day he noticed a strange blue reflection on the window pane.

He gasped and put his hands in front of his optics to see what reflected off the metal of his fingers. Clear energon-blue glowed as brightly as from the energon sacks which held the prehatched sparks. Again he gasped. He threw his hands down and stared vacantly out in front of him. A shiver ran through him that rattled his casing.

He had not dared to hope for such a thing, nor had he even given it a second thought. For all he had known his optics were permanently red. They had been red long before he had been a Decepticon, after all. He had barely been out of the hatchery before his optics began to at least dim in color. Crimson took hold not too long after that.

He could not believe it. It seemed strange to feel so frightened by the realization of a mere color change, but he could not help it.

What did this mean?

Had he truly changed? Or was this just because of how much calmer he felt and had nothing to do with being good or not. Then again Skywarp had always been fairly calm and his optics had been as blazing red as everyone else's had been. Even Knock Out had been calm and confident enough with his blazing red optics as he played for fifty-so years on Earth without Decepticon orders and they had not cooled.

Again Starscream shivered.

He did not know what to think.

He did not trust himself anymore than anyone else at this point.

When Bumblebee returned for another visit far sooner than between the last visit and the visit before, he did not stay for very long. He was very cheerful though. Starscream almost wanted to tell him that he should not trust physical appearance, but he never did. He just allowed Bumblebee to update things, and he asked his questions about them, and then Bumblebee left.

Then it was the very same day that his cell door opened again. This time it was not Bumblebee, but a guard that he had seen once before. Vasteffect, he recalled his name being…

"What is it?' Starscream asked nervously.

"Starscream," said Vasteffect, "The president requests your presence in Capital Hall."

Starscream blinked stupidly, and then he glowered with a squint as he leaned forward. "What?"

Starscream glanced behind Vasteffect suspiciously and then he straightened and looked up at the very tall and large Cybertronian standing before him. He had a gentle face despite his dangerous-looking body, and a very naïve face at that, but Starscream did read absolute sincerity in his optics.

"You mean right now," said Starscream shaking a finger on a loose hinge towards the door. "Without cuffs or bonds?"

"I suppose so," said Vasteffect. "No one said anything about you being bound."

Starscream's spark began to grow hot and his body began to hum. He had not quite reached the point of panting, but he was in a devastating state of shock and disbelief with his mouth open slightly ajar. Then he twitched and his wings twitched twice as he blinked stupidly up at the vast bulk of Vasteffect.

"It's not like you could get far once outside anyway," said Vasteffect with a shrug, "and your weapons are disabled, you know."

"Oh," said Starscream lifting up his missile arm, which indeed had no missiles at the moment from being hindered from growing in replaced. "So they are."

He shuffled his feet a little and then clearing his voice capacitator with a queer sort of cough, he straightened himself as much as his ill ease allowed and wrapped one hand around his back while the other he held up in front of him. He said with a broad nervous sort of smile, "Well, there's nothing to wait for, I suppose. We might as well be on our way. You are my escort, I'm assuming?"

"Yes," said Vasteffect, and he turned towards the corridor, but before he could begin to walk, Starscream peeking out the door asked, "Did the president say why he wished to see me in the palace and not in my cell?"

"Oh, right!" said Vasteffect. "Yes, he said that you are to be brought before the council who will be ending their annual meeting soon, which is why the president wanted it to be today, and he said that you were to be brought before them to discuss your release from prison and, uh, what you're going to do after that."

Starscream nearly fell over from where his hands already clutched the doorway of the cell.

"My _what_? The president can't be serious!"

"He wouldn't've sent me if it wasn't serious," Vasteffect pointed out.

"True, true…" Starscream's optics shifted about as though he feared someone watching that should not.

"So…are you coming?" asked Vasteffect.

Without looking up and with a very glazed expression, Starscream nodded and as Vasteffect stepped to one side to allow Starscream out in front, Starscream scurried rodent-like into position and then was forced to walk at a steady pace with Vasteffect just behind him. He rubbed his hands and looked about him at a corridor that had always been just outside his cell, but which he had rarely ever seen. It was interesting to note that even a prison corridor on new Cybertron was brighter than the _Nemesis_ command deck.

He felt his mind would freeze as he saw the front doors of the prison open onto the causeway outside, but there he was half in dream stepping out into the capital as busy and alive as he remembered it in the old days before the War, but with a vitality that the view from his window had never given justice to.


	35. After Story 2: Open Hatch

THIRTY-FIVE: OPEN HATCH

With the awe of a hatchling he looked around him as he took in the sounds, the sights, and the other senses brought to him by the city. As he made his way dazedly along the causeway he looked up at another causeway above his head. As they got further away from the prison, an elevator shaft went down. There were only now a little over two thousand Cybertronians on Cybertron and they were most of them in this small capital, but it truly did look like a slice had been taken out from the old city in its glory days. Although there were not millions of Cybertronians, those two thousand sure made it feel lively enough.

He turned to the voices of some of the Cybertronians around them on the way to Capital Hall. Of course, he did not know any of them. They were all very young and part of the first or second generation. He could tell very quickly which Cybertronian was from the second, as the younger ones were hardly a year past hatchling-hood and revealed with naivety tremendously. Yet Starscream felt intimidated by even them somehow, especially as many of them noticed as he and Vasteffect passed. By the awe in their faces, he knew pretty well that they knew who he was.

He felt very small and very alien in this world of happily busy people, most of whom seemed to Starscream to not have a care in the world, as more likely than not they did not have a care in the world, and their contentment in this abundant society was something that Starscream had never truly experienced before.

It made it all the more real somehow too when he heard a jet overhead and someone flew past high above the city. It was not Jetfire or Skywarp. He did not know who it was, of course, but he felt his wings ache to join him up there, and they sunk longingly behind him as he gazed upward.

"Hey, c'mon, Starscream, we're almost there," urged Vasteffect.

It almost felt strange to be called by that name so candidly in such a place as this. Certainly it had always been his name, named after the sound of a jet engine screaming to life, but it felt so out of place that he jumped. It had for so long been a name synonymous with creepiness and misery and frustration for most people. He felt rather guilty.

Though, this Cybertronian in particular had no true personal experience with Starscream, he no doubt he had been told plenty about him.

"Alright, alright, I'm going," said Starscream. "I've never seen Cybertron like this before."

"Oh. Right. Sorry."

Starscream shook his head. "Don't be."

He made his way at a faster pace to the great hall, and fear struck him all over again as he found himself stepping inside the cool, spacious circular entryway, far darker than the causeways outside, but no less vibrant or interesting. He had little thought of looking about now, however. He was led to the meeting, and he knew he would have to face all those he had hurt.

"I have Starscream, Mr. President," said Vasteffect with a respectful bow as they stepped into the meeting room, which matched the main entryway in style, but had broader windows to the outside.

"Thanks, Vast."

They nearly looked like different people, Starscream saw as he found himself standing in the middle of them. They were not a rabble of silly and emotional survivors as they had ever appeared to Starscream when they were refugees on Earth. He was not sure if it was his own vision that had changed them or if the change that had overcome them was truly they themselves. Perhaps it was something in between. They had a noble sort of air, not in a condescending sort of way as had the old council: stuffy decadent, self-important. The new council standing together looked truly wise and truly responsible and truly worthy of honor like a council of Primes from the elder days—the true glory days of Cybertron. Even at his trial they had not seemed like this. Even Knock Out, had Starscream not known him from before, carried a strange sort of regality that Starscream could not quite explain despite his still rather silly expressions.

It struck Starscream to think that although he had ever considered Knock Out his inferior in all respects, he now felt the complete opposite. He felt downright like a foolish hatchling in comparison to him, and it was that much more for the original members of Team Prime or even the magnificence he felt looking upon Jetfire. Bumblebee looked about the same as he had when he had come to visit him, and yet it was as if his full ambiance was given now in this grand palace where he stood at the a place of honor as leader.

They almost seemed to be glowing to Starscream as though some sort of grace was upon them. Now certainly his fancy was a very strong one, and it certainly made this overwhelming situation even more overwhelming, but he could not help but feel the presence of Optimus Prime in all of them. He merely stood there for a moment shrinking into himself as much as he could and still stand. He winced as though someone were about to strike him with some deadly weapon, but all the council did for a moment or so was stare at Starscream with optics wide with disbelief, except for Bumblebee who had already seen this strange phenomenon.

It was one thing to be told that Starscream had proved himself trustworthy enough for a last chance, quite another to see him standing before them with his huge optics now glowing as clear blue as freshly processed energon as he cowered and rubbed his claws together. He still even bore the Decepticon symbol on his chest. His body was exactly the same as when he had been put into prison. It was only that one difference that made the whole thing almost impossible to believe despite being before their vision.

"Starscream," said Bumblebee, the first to break the spell of either party being so in awe of the other.

Vasteffect as the only outside witness aside from a secretary recording the proceedings, watched this spectacle in wonder at how the old world Cybertronians stared as he looked from one side to the other. The secretary did the same and hers and Vasteffect's optics met inquiringly before returning to the scene.

"Master," Starscream found himself saying with a cowering bow of his head. " _Ih_ —What is it you wish?"

"First I would like to ask you," said Bumblebee, "to tell us all what _you_ wish to say."

Starscream's wings stiffened. He was taken aback. " _Ih_ —! I…" he squeaked.

His optics met Arcee's; he cringed and she returned him with a look of sincere expectancy and she gave the slightest urging nod. Starscream looked away.

"I suppose…" he said with care, "that I wish to formally apologize before anything else."

He paused and glanced at Knock Out queerly who gave him a funny sort of look— not a bad look, but certainly strange, though not entirely unusual for Knock Out. Starscream did not try to decipher it however to mean anything more than that he should go on, but it was also then that he noticed that Skywarp was present too even if he obviously was not really part of the council. Starscream glanced at him briefly too, but Skywarp showed little recognition. He was studying Starscream carefully though as if he was trying to figure him out. Skywarp blinked slowly and minimally otherwise.

 _At least he's still somewhat himself even if he had to start over_ , thought Starscream.

Starscream sighed again and stared down at his clawed digits.

"Well," he began with care, "I know that I've made a lot of empty apologies in the past, so I don't know if this one will do any good, but I'm sorry. I'm sorry for all the pain I caused. I know it was War, but I made it my own war on everyone who was happier than me, and I took pleasure in every bit of cruelty I inflicted."

He had thought long and hard about what a formal apology should sound like, for he had since his decision to reform under Optimus' example, often formulated such speeches in his mind. Now that he was speaking one for real he found it difficult to decide which planned words should be kept or not.

He hesitated then went on: "The humans of Earth, especially your four human companions Miko, Jack, Raf, and Agent Fowler. I'm sorry about anything I did to them or their planet. The esteemed President Bumblebee, I also apologize to you specifically for everything I have done to you personally and for Cybertron—yes, and, _uh_ , Optimus Prime as he is no longer online for me to tell him face to face." Again he paused. "To Arcee." He dared to turn to her again. This time she looked very grim as their optics met and again Starscream looked away. "Especially in regards to the dearly departed…Cliffjumper…who I did terminate in a most unfair fight even to go so far as to say that it was not a fight, though you all probably guessed as much, for he was so mortally wounded that only a coward would have done it …and I apologize to Bulkhead and Ratchet. I know I abused Ratchet's view on the value of life for my behalf. And…to everyone else that has ever been considered worthy to be a member of Team Prime—or well, everyone else in general…I'm truly and utterly sorry from the bottom of my miserable spark. I don't deserve your time or your pity."

Bumblebee opened his mouth to speak, but Starscream went on without realizing this, but Bumblebee forced himself to be patient.

"I'd also like to say," said Starscream perhaps a little overly dramatic, "that I understand that this meeting is mostly about what to do with me because of my changed optics in hue from red to blue. I don't know how much it means as far as virtue so much as just not as unsettled. But this is about whether or not I should be given a less severe sentence anyway?"

Bumblebee nodded slowly.

"Admittedly," said Starscream, "I can't imagine ever living among you as a true deserving citizen of this rejuvenated home of ours. I have no doubt that this era will become known as the Silver Age of Cybertron. But I will humbly accept being your servant." He bowed again with a most respectful sweep low and self-effacing before his lords. "I am willing to do whatever you wish of me in whatever way you're noble counsel believes is best suited for Cybertron." He paused briefly twiddling his fingers as he looked upward in thought, then returning to the president he said, "I don't believe I have anything further to say, if you please, Mas—Mr. President."

Again Bumblebee nodded and then said, "You've spoken very eloquently, but more importantly, you spoke honestly, Starscream. I hope I speak for everyone when I say we do accept your apology." He looked around at the others who seemed to agree, and he crossed his arms. "What do you think should be done with Starscream, based on his original trial and these new events?"

There was a pause, and Starscream fidgeted.

It was Arcee who spoke first. "Mr. President."

"Yes, Arcee?"

"I think he should be given an experimental chance under the command of Jetfire where he will be carefully watched for continued sincerity once he's out and free again," she said, but it surprised Starscream that she said this not without sympathy on his behalf. "It won't take long to know, I don't think."

"Now that the hatchlings have grown, yes, I could have Starscream under me as a secretary or assistant for a time if it is the will of the council," said Jetfire sagely.

"If he's going to do that," said Knock Out equally as sagely in tone even if his expression was a little exaggerated in comparison to Jetfire's, and he lifted a finger, "I suggest he gets a new alternate mode. He can't go around Cybertron looking like _that_. He's got to get rid of that frontal plating."

Smokescreen couldn't help his amused smile, but he quickly suppressed it and returned to his look of seriousness as he cleared his voice capacitator.

Starscream made a face, and involuntarily he looked down at his Decepticon symbol embossed as a sort of medal or badge of honor in the middle of his upper chest. His chest plating and a few of the jet-mode accessories' tucked away around and beneath formed into a pair of fangs and leering dead eyes.

"That would hardly be a delay," said Ultra Magnus. "He can change his casing before he leaves Capital Hall. He wouldn't need to change modes."

This experimental chance should be monitored really carefully, though," added Bulkhead. "This is Starscream. I'm not against it, but we should be careful."

"I agree with Bulkhead," said Quickshift quickly nodding.

"He'll be with me," said Jetfire. "He won't leave my sight."

"And if he tries anything, he can't really go anywhere," said Arcee.

Bulkhead nodded slowly.

"At least be careful with him around the younger generations," said Ratchet. "I think that's far more important than worrying about him escaping." He turned to Starscream himself. "You have taken advantage of us many times, Starscream, and you are right, you don't deserve this chance you're getting, and yet…I do hope you mean it this time."

After a more discussion it was then decided that Starscream would be definitely allowed this chance, but as Bumblebee said at the end of the meeting, "Remember, Starscream, should you ever cross us or take advantage of us or do anything that I find contrary to your promise to continue working towards reforming your ways, you'll go back to prison. If that happens, you will _not_ be given any more chances."

"I understand, and I am most grateful for your benevolence, Mr. President," said Starscream with a bow. "I never guessed it would be any other way."

Bumblebee smiled. "Then good luck."

Starscream returned him with a nervous little grin. "Thank you."

"Oh!" said Knock Out holding up another pointer digit; his smile was rather cheeky, but he meant the sentiment sincerely. "And don't think that you're going to be treated any different from the rest of us, Starscream. You're part of the family now. It's just community service you're going through. It won't be forever."

Starscream only stared blankly at him for a moment.

"Thank you…" he said with a wince. "I'll…keep that in mind."

"You're welcome!" chirped Knock Out.

#

And thus Starscream, after getting rid of his Decepticon symbol and chest-face (otherwise he stayed pretty much the same even in color) and cleaning up a bit, was taken by Jetfire out into Cybertron again. Skywarp was with them.

Out on the causeway, Jetfire turned to Starscream and said, "I'm taking you to our sector."

Starscream nodded hesitantly, and his optics grew wide as Jetfire took to flight mode and dashed upwards. After glancing with mild curiosity at Starscream's surprise, Skywarp took flight after his boss. Violently Starscream turned to him too and watched him take flight.

"We're going to _fly_?!" he gasped.

"Yes," muttered Skywarp hovering just under Jetfire.

" _Ahem_!" said Starscream now somewhat embarrassed. "Yes, yes, of course we are!" he then declared boldly, and took flight-mode on himself quite thrilled.

It had been so long since he had flown that he could barely believe he was doing it now and that this was not some sort of dream that he would wake from miserably after some recharge or from stasis. He tingled with delight as he propelled upwards after the others.

Admittedly, his transformation was a tiny bit stiff, but he soon became adjusted again, and it was as if he had never stopped flying, except that he was more grateful for flight than he had ever been before. Even had he been now a slave, he would have been glad if only he would be able to live out slavery with the ability to fly. But as it was, he was not a slave but part of Optimus' family now. It was a funny sensation, but flight buried it for now.

Just as he was so miserable in his cell that he felt he would explode, he felt so elated now that he might do the same thing. He hardly looked where he was going half the time, as he let the wind whip past him and the sun glisten on him. The clouds whisked past him and the updrafts caught him here and there.

Jetfire sometimes would say things to him, but Starscream found it difficult to concentrate on them. After all, he was so caught up in the beauty of flight and the beauty of Cybertron from aerial view that he almost ran into Jetfire.

"Are your flight capabilities secure?" Jetfire demanded gruffly after he had just barely gotten out of his way.

"Yes, yes, of course they are!" Starscream exclaimed quickly. "Excuse me. Forgive me, sir!"

But this incident did nothing to dampen his spirits. It only made him pleased with himself that there _was_ nothing wrong with his flight capabilities.

Jetfire's sector he picked out quite easily, for the aeries were indeed quite impressive and tall and stood out from the rest of Cybertron like glistening spires from the buildings or cliffs they were attached to.

He and the others landed neatly on one of the ledges of these aeries. Some moments after Starscream landed he still felt the rush of flight. He closed his optics with a most satisfied smile.

He looked out over the planet as far he could see and nodded in agreement to himself. Then he turned to Jetfire and Skywarp and asked merrily, "So! What do you wish me to do now that I'm here? I'm ready! I do hope there's a lot of work to be done because I've been cooped up forever!"

For the first time since Starscream had seen Skywarp again, he smiled, a slow minimal smile but with some amusement.

"I remember something about you now," he said.

"You do?" asked Starscream with some surprise.

Jetfire turned to Skywarp with interest.

"I remember your hyperactivity," said Skywarp simply. "I think it used to amuse me or annoy me. I can't remember which."

Starscream waved a hand aside and sniffed. "Oh, don't try to, Skywarp."


End file.
